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DEFENSE
Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has ordered members of the
Department of National Defense’s new bids and awards (BAC)
committee to formally start the investigation into the
alleged irregularities in the acquisition of six new
night attack helicopters at a cost of P1.2 billion by
the Armed Forces.
Teodoro ordered the new BAC, headed by
Assistant Secretary Roberto Emmanuel Feliciano, to start
the investigation into the alleged anomalies, following
the submission of the initial report of the
investigating committee headed by Defense Undersecretary
Ariston de los Reyes.
The BAC will determine the criminal
liabilities of those allegedly involved in the anomaly.
Teodoro said he has not given the BAC a
deadline to finish the investigation, but Feliciano said
that if possible, the panel wants to come up with its
findings even before the rebidding of the project.
If the the second stage of the
investigation were not completed on time, the rebidding
would be held while the panel is still conducting the
formal investigation.
Last week Teodoro announced that the
committee headed by de los Reyes had already come up
with its report, but that he did not disclose the
findings.
For his part, Feliciano said the
committee has started the formal investigation.
On January 7 Teodoro ordered de los
Reyes and his team to investigate the complaint of
losing bidder PZL-Swidnik S.A. of Poland of alleged
anomalies in the project.
Swidnik’s complaint had reached the
Office of the President and Teodoro on December 8,
through a formal letter questioning the bidding that was
won by Asian Aerospace Corp. (AAC), local partner of the
US-based Boeing Company’s McDonnell Douglas Division.
A week after it was ordered to look into
the anomalies, de los Reyes and his team told defense
reporters that they found basis for the complaint.
Subsequently, in his January 24
memorandum, Teodoro declared the results of the bidding
“null and void” and ordered the de los Reyes committee
to continue its investigation in order to solidify
evidence that would lead to the possible filing of
charges against AAC executives and the members of the
previous BAC.
The members of the former BAC are
National Defense Assistant Secretary Roberto Nuqui, and
the Armed Forces vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Antonio
Romero; Edna Guevarra and Gladys Cagadoc as members.
Maj. Gen. Pedro Insierto and Brig. Gen.
Jerry Jalandoni are provisional members.
“The [new] DND-BAC is hereby authorized
and directed to undertake proceedings for the purpose of
determining whether or not the matter should be referred
to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution of
the responsible directors or officers of the [AAC] or
both…and against concerned officials, officers or
personnel of the DND or Armed Forces or both with the
Presidential Antigraft Commission, the Ombudsman or
other body or tribunal,” Teodoro’s memorandum said. |
