No violation in procurement process that awarded delivery deal to F2 Logistics —Comelec exec

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official on Friday maintained that there are no violations found in the procurement process which resulted in the awarding of elections supplies delivery contract to F2 Logistics, a company linked to Davao businessman Dennis Uy.

“This was thoroughly discussed during the en banc meeting last Wednesday. The law department finds that there is no violation as we go over the GPBB (Government Procurement Policy Board) with regards to the disqualification of a prospective bidder,” Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo told the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

“The opinion of the law department and the en banc agrees with it unanimously that there were no violations in the procurement process for the delivery of the ES (election supplies) components. That’s the stand of the Comelec en banc,” he said.

His remarks came days after Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said he ordered the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) to probe F2 Logistics' link to Uy, who donated P30 million for Duterte's 2016 presidential bid.

On Wednesday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez confirmed that the poll body already awarded a P1.61-billion contract to F2 Logistics.

The logistics contract covers deployment of election equipment, peripherals, forms, supplies, and paraphernalia, and warehousing for the 2022 elections.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio earlier said she doesn't see any problem with the awarding of the contract to F2 Logistic as long as the procedures on procurement were followed. 

Uy serves as the chairman of F2 Logistics, based on a regulatory filing of Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Corporation, which he founded and where he also sits as chairman.

F2 Logistics Philippines Inc. was listed as a joint venture of Udenna Management & Resources Corporation on the 2020 annual report of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc.

Udenna Management and Resources is in turn fully owned by Udenna Corporation, with Uy sitting as chairman and CEO.

Uy donated P30 million to Duterte’s 2016 campaign, while his wife Cherylyn donated P1 million, according to data gathered by GMA News Research.

F2 Logistics bested LBC Express, Airspeed International, and 2GO Express Inc. in the bidding. It will be in charge of the delivery and logistics of all automated equipment for the elections.

According to its business profile on its website, F2 Logistics Philippines was established a decade ago as a service oriented transport company in domestic forwarding. —KBK, GMA News