Cebu City Hall okays contract with Pasajero Motors

CEBU City based vehicle company Pasajero Motors Corp. (Pamocor) won another contract with Cebu City Hall, this time to provide heavy equipment for the city’s garbage collection program.

Pamocor gave the lowest bid of P700 per hour for the rental of 10 garbage trucks and 11 compactor trucks to be used by the city in collecting garbage at major thoroughfares in the city and in the barangays.

“Yesterday (Monday), we served the notice of award to them. They posted their performance bond today (yesterday) and had already started collecting garbage in the city,” said Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) head Ronaldo Malacora.

Cebu City Councilor Raymond Garcia questioned the city government’s continued engagement in contracts with Pamocor.

He said Pamocor is owned by Barangay Kasambagan chairman Franklyn Ong.

Another bidder, Jomara Konstruckt Corp., gave a higher bid of P823 per hour for the equipment.

The approved budget of contract was pegged at P1,000 per hour for the rental.

“When we conducted the post-qualification process, we already know that they (Pamocor) are capable because they are an existing supplier of the city.

Then they already have available units, ready for deployment,” said Malacora, who also heads City Hall’s Department of General Services.

Pamocor bidded to become the city’s service provider in hauling garbage from a private transfer station all the way to the private landfill in Consolacion earlier this year.

Under the contract, Pamocor is expected to not just supply the trucks for rental but also provide the drivers of the trucks and its maintenance. City Hall will provide fuel for the trucks.

Malacora said the additional trucks will help the city’s garbage collection since the city lacks functioning garbage trucks.

Pamocor’s compactor trucks will also be used for the city’s Basura Mo, Sardinas Ko program.

The program gives cans of sardines to residents in identified areas near creeks and waterways who will collect and turn over plastic bags filled with garbage to drivers of compactor trucks that will visit their areas.

Malacora said with the additional trucks, they will expand the program from Barangays Lahug and Cogon Pardo to other areas in the city. But Garcia said Ong’s ties to Pamocor is suspect.

“That is a gross violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. We will look into that. In fact, I will bring that up to the Council. I want to know if there is really a violation. If there is, then we will do something about it,” Garcia said.

Sought for comment on Garcia’s statement, Malacora said the councilor should seek redress in the court.

Malacora said they didn’t focus on Pamocor’s ownership since the contractor had been compliant with the requirements and processes in the conduct of public bidding.

Malacora said as far as he knows Ong isn’t signing the official documents for the bidding, and Pamocor is a corporation which has several owners.

“Besides, we don’t just cater to a specific supplier because we are adhering to the provisions of RA 9184 on the process of bidding. It is open. Whoever is qualified can join,” he said.