CEBU CITY—Gov. Hilario Davide III has denied that there was overpricing in the purchase of P250 million worth of light and heavy equipment for the capitol.
Davide, Cebu provincial chairman of the ruling Liberal Party, also stood by the members of Capitol’s Bids and Awards Committee who appeared to have approved an alleged overpriced heavy equipment. “I already made my statement supporting the decision of the BAC,” Davide said, adding that the allegation that the capitol had a favored bidder, was just invented by his detractors.
Davide is running for re-election against former GSIS chair Winston Garcia of local opposition party One Cebu.
The BAC has approved the offered price of Conequip Phil. Inc. despite that it bid the highest, at P250.6 million, while other bidders Civic Merchandising offered P237.17 million and RDAK, P235.05 million.
Conequip Phil. Inc. offered the provincial government P5,123,000 for the Singapore/China-made Dowo dumptruck ZZ316M3811 model.
With the purchase of nine units, Capitol would spend P46,107,000.
But a document obtained by The Standard showed a price quotation of P2,600,000 per unit.
With this amount, nine units would only cost P23,400,000.
The offer was made by a certain Seth Oliver Tio, managing director of Mighty Brothers Heavy Equipment, to a private company in Mandaue City.
Based on the quotation, the Capitol would be paying P2.52 million more for every unit of nine dump trucks that Conequip will supply or aӬ total of at least P22.7 million. With this amount, nine units would only cost P23,400,000.
Meanwhile, Port of Cebu Customs appraiser Deodata T. Montejo told The Standard that a Howo dump truck costs $32,000 per unit and its customs duties would amount to not less than P400,000.