Leviste urges reforms to prevent bid-rigging in DPWH infra projects

Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste on Monday suggested reforming the bidding process of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)'s infrastructure projects or auctioning them to prevent bid-rigging.

“May mga posibleng solusyon upang tuluyang wakasan ang bid-rigging sa DPWH. Isa rito ang reforma sa bidding process kung saan unang isusumite ng mga bidder ang kanilang presyo at saka na lang gagawin ang post-qualification,” Leviste said during his privilege speech.

(There are possible solutions to end bid-rigging in the DPWH completely. One of these is reforming the bidding process, where bidders first submit their prices, and post-qualification will follow.)

“Isa pang solusyon batay sa testimonya ni dating (DPWH) undersecretary (Roberto) Bernardo ay ang pag-auction ng mga proyekto upang maiwasan ang sabuatan o kolusyon ng mga contractor at mapilitan silang magbigay ng pababa ng pababa na presyo,” he added.

(Another solution, based on the testimony of former DPWH undersecretary Bernardo, is to auction projects to prevent collusion among contractors and compel them to offer increasingly lower prices.)

Bernardo made the call after he was asked for possible solutions to prevent a repeat of the alleged kickback scheme in government projects during a Senate hearing.

Leviste also volunteered to aid the House Committee on Public Works in overseeing the bidding of DPWH projects to ensure there is no misuse of funds.

As part of its efforts to ensure transparency in the government, the DPWH announced it will livestream the bidding of its projects.

This includes the agency’s central office, regional offices as well its district engineering offices, which can be watched live on its official YouTube channel. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News