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[av_heading heading=’ ‘SCRAP THE CONTRACT’ City hall should blacklist chicken supplier, too – Nava ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Councilor Plaridel Nava pressed for the rescission of the city government’s contract with a supplier tapped to deliver chickens for a livelihood project targeting Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) families as recipients.
As colleagues in the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) agreed yesterday to investigate alleged irregularities in the project, Nava further urged the city government to blacklist the supplier, Foodwealth Agro-Vet Trading.
On the other hand, according to Councilor Ely Estante, chairman of the SP committee on agriculture, fisheries, aquatic and natural resources, this chicken livelihood project for the poor appeared not well thought out.
For one, he said, the beneficiaries’ capability to raise chickens was apparently not considered, resulting to the death of fowls and thereby defeating the project’s purpose – to alleviate the recipients’ dire economic conditions.
Nava, who was the first to sound alarm on the chicken project last week, also stressed the need to review and fine-tune the processes at the city government’s Bids and Awards Committee.
On Monday, Acting Mayor Jose Espinosa ordered an investigation but the SP deemed it wise to conduct a parallel probe.
Nava, however, said the better move to do is for the city government to rescind its contract with the supplier and even ban the latter from doing business with city hall.
Some of the chickens delivered weighed less than what was stated in the contract – at least 300 grams, he said.
“Klaro katama. The intent to defraud the government is there. The intent to commit graft is there. The intent to gain out of corrupt practices ara,” said Nava.
Meanwhile, from what he had gathered, said Estante, some recipients were so poor they did not have the means to feed the chickens, thus the fowls died just days after these were turned over to them.
The recipients of the chickens – a project under the city government’s Integrated Community Food Production Program – each received five heads of chicken (four hens and one rooster).
The recipients were also not briefed on the proper care and handling of the chickens, according to Estante.
As a result, many fowls got sick and eventually died, he lamented.
“These observations seem valid and if not acted upon may lead to the loss of public trust in the city government,” said Estante.
According to City Agriculturist Romulo Pangantihon whose office was tasked to distribute the chickens, the supply was negotiated because three previous biddings for the project all failed.
The chicken distribution started last month yet. This project has a budget of P3.5 million covering a total of 17,500 chickens. So far, 2,625 chickens have been distributed.
According to Nava, the supply contract provided that the fowls must be completely immunized and that proper quarantine procedures must be followed during delivery and distribution.
Prior to the awarding of chickens to the recipients, the fowls must also be certified “healthy” by the City Veterinary Office, and those found to be unhealthy automatically rejected, he added.
City councilors agreed to convene as a committee of the whole for the investigation but they did not set a date when to commence it.
Estante said the SP investigation should result to the following:
- creation of ordinances that safeguard the interest of the city government and beneficiaries of its projects
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identification of the person/s involved in the chicken project and file appropriate charges in court if warranted
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regain public trust in the city government
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benefits of the project will be maximized
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uphold the rule of law in government procurement and project implementation
After Nava warned of irregularities, Pangantihon assured the public that all chickens to be distributed would be weighed upon delivery “to make sure nga wala na sang questions.”
“Ang indi makalab-ot sa 300 grams outright i-reject namon,” he stressed.
However, Pangantihon did not say if his office weighed the chickens that were distributed in August and early this month.
The project is funded under the Bottom-up-Budgeting program of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).
Ana Marie Primalion, NAPC provincial focal person for Iloilo, said the Commission will also be conducting a parallel investigation.
Among others, NAPC wanted to know if there was overpricing, said Primalion.
She was present at yesterday’s session of the city council.
Meanwhile, the investigation that Espinosa ordered would be undertaken by Atty. Mary Joan Montaño, chief of the city government’s Internal Audit Service Office.
The results should be in by Oct. 2 next week, said Espinosa.
While the investigation is ongoing, the chicken distribution is suspended, he added./PN
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