Makabayan Bloc seeks probe on DA's P1.8-B 'overpriced' fertilizers

The House Makabayan Bloc has filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the allegedly overpriced fertilizers procured by the Department of Agriculture (DA) amounting to P1.8 billion.

House Resolution 992 directs the Committees on Agriculture and Food and on Good Government and Public Accountability to conduct the inquiry in aid of legislation.

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According to the lawmakers, the DA on April 28 posted an invitation to bid for the supply and delivery of 5.69 million bags of urea fertilizers with an approved budget of P5.69 billion.

Likewise, the DA conducted bidding for 1.81 bags of urea fertilizers for P1.8 billion or equivalent to P1,000 per bag.

But the total contract for the P1.8 billion fertilizers "could be overpriced by at least P271.66 million as farmers from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija attest that the prevailing average price of urea is pegged only at P850 per bag," the lawmakers said.

The farmers said that recent purchases of urea fertilizer showed that a bag only costs P830 in Tarlac, P810 in Pangasinan, and P840 in Nueva Ecija, they added.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas' monitoring of the average prevailing prices of urea fertilizer also revealed that they have not changed since last month and only range from P850 to P1,000 depending on the location, they pointed out.

At the same time, the bloc said the allegedly overpriced fertilizers also raise suspicion after news reports state that the winning bidder La Filipino "does not also have available stocks of urea fertilizers nor has it shown any bill of lading to prove that it had an incoming supply of urea fertilizers," but it bagged the contract still.

"DA must have the sense to put on hold and/or suspend the succeeding bidding for the procurement of an additional P3.8-billion worth of fertilizer until the questionable bidding and procurement of the P1.8-billion fertilizer is given clarity," they added.

The members of the Makabayan Bloc are Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago.

The DA has yet to respond to a request for comment on the call for a House probe, but Agriculture Secretary William Dar has earlier said that the procurement they did was "above board."

He also defended the procurement process, saying that such prices were even "a lot cheaper" compared to previous purchases at the regions.

"I can personally vouch for the truthfulness and trustworthiness of the procurement process that the DA-BAC has exercised for these fertilizers," Dar said.

"Guided by our Legal Office and in constant consultation with the GPPB, we made sure we followed to the number the prescribed procurement procedure as required by the law," he added. --KBK, GMA News