SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada, for the moment, has asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to conduct an investigation into the financial dealings of several companies whom he has tagged as “favored suppliers” at the Department of Education.
In a letter to BIR Commissioner Lilia Catris Guillermo last October 7, 2022, Jinggoy identified the following companies that he wants the agency to investigate:
Advance Solutions, Inc. (ASI); Columbia Technologies, Inc.; Reddot Imaging Philippines, Inc.; Tehcguru Incorporated; and, Girltekki Incorporated.
Jinggoy asked the BIR to investigate the firms “for possible criminal violations of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.”
It can be recalled that in a statement on September 19, 2022, Estrada said awarding contracts to the same set of suppliers and chopping a big contract into smaller ones are prohibited under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
“Based on my research on DepEd’s contracts, I always encounter the names of ASI or Advance Solutions Inc., Columbia Technologies, Reddot Imaging Philippines, Techguru Inc., and Girl Teki Inc.
“Why are these suppliers so lucky that they almost always win juicy Deped contracts that run into billions of pesos over the years?” he asked (see also Pinoy Exposé, September 21, 2022).
Estrada said that some of the suppliers that bagged billions of pesos worth of contracts to supply Chinese-made computers to the DepEd do not even have websites, and their offices are located in obscure addresses in Manila.
“I also noticed that there have been several repeat orders made in favor of these suppliers. Take note that under Section 51 of the IRR [Implementing Rules and Regulations] of Republic Act 9184… the effect of repeat orders is that it dispenses with or foregoes the conduct of competitive public bidding,” he said.
Estrada said he was perplexed over the intense inquiry into the controversial P2.4-billion laptops purchase in 2021, while DepEd’s ‘favored’ suppliers have virtually gone ‘scot-free’ with not even a single inquiry or audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) despite DepEd’s questionable procurement practices.
“For instance, Advance Solutions, Inc. and Columbia Technologies have been supplying DepEd for many years, and the value of their accumulated contracts amounts to billions.
“Why were they not scrutinized before? The same with Reddot Imaging, Girl Teki, and Tech Guru. Bakit hindi sila subjected sa investigation o audit report ng COA before?” he asked.
PNP castigated for “stupidity”
Meanwhile, Jinggoy also castigated the Philippine National Police (PNP), particularly, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) under P/BGen. Jonnel Estomo, for conducting house visits on journalists in civilian clothes and without proper coordination with local officials to purportedly check on their safety.
“The PNP has a lot of explaining to do. If the purpose of ‘home visits’ of their personnel to the journalists’ residence is to ensure that there are no ‘threats’ to their lives, why are they not in their proper uniform?
“Why was there no coordination with the local officials and media company/outlet with which the concerned journalist is affiliated? And the most glaring of all, how could they get hold of very personal and sensitive information such as a home address of a journalist,” Jinggoy asked.
“I can see the sense in this move of the PNP but its execution is rather contemptible. It’s the most stupid idea, I must say.
“Kung gusto nilang alamin kung sino ang mga may pagbabanta sa buhay ng mga journalists, hindi ba dapat na una nila itong inalam sa mga news organization na kinabibilangan ng mga mamahayag,” he asked further.
(Estomo has since apologized for the booboo in a statement he released last October 16, 2022—Editor).