Recto: DBM chief is competent to end ‘messy’ procurement
DEPUTY Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto has called on Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to conduct a “post mortem on the supposed delayed and bungled” procurement activities of the Procurement Service, which is under the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
This is as Recto expressed full “faith and confidence” in Pangandaman’s desire and ability to include the controversial buying arm of the government in her reform project.
“I have no doubt that the highly capable Secretary Pangandaman will do what is right,” Recto said, stressing that the Commission on Audit-discovered irregularities in PS-DBM operations “did not happen during her watch.”
“These are problems she inherited, and I think she will not allow these to continue,” the Batangas lawmaker said.
“The DBM is under new management. With the change of guards comes to a change of rules for the better,” Recto said.
Recto urged Pangandaman to prepare “an exit plan” to phase down PS-DBM’s “big ticket” procurement activities.
“Those in the last mile of procurement should be allowed to finish. Pero ‘yung hindi pa nasisimulan, kailangan na siguro i-return to sender,” said Recto in calling for the return of allotments to agencies which tapped PS-DBM as their buying agent.
Recto said any drive to reform the Procurement Service (PS) should begin with DBM leadership’s commitment “to reject orders and pressures from above or anywhere that they conduct the bidding of goods, the nature of which is beyond their technical skills to evaluate.”
“Yan ang simula. Na huwag hayaan ang PS gamitin bilang isang parking lot of funds, or a facility to extend the validity of fund allotments,” Recto said.
Recto recognized the value of PS as an agency that can save taxpayers money through bulk buying common-use supplies and equipment.
“Maganda ‘yung original mandate. But when it was forced to become a ‘central buying politburo’, doon na nagkaproblema,” he said.
