A BACOLOD City councilor wants to withdraw his consent to allow a conciliation meeting between the Department of Education (DepEd) and a private company over a controversial speech laboratory contract.
Councilor Ricardo Tan wants that his withdrawal be put on record after realizing that the decision to allow the meeting is "so complicated".
“I studied again the details of the case. I also consulted several
lawyers to explain to me the legal complications of the case. Consequently, I realized that the case is so complicated that it may ripen into litigation involving of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Tan said.
The councilor wrote a letter on October 10 to Vice Mayor Elcid Familiaran expressing his sentiments.
On September 14, the City Council discussed the issue between DepEd and supplier Nikka Trading over the latter's delivery of computer packages instead of speech laboratory sets as indicated in the former's purchase request.
Councilor Renecito Novero, chair of committee on education, recommended for a conciliation conference between the two parties.
“I had then the understanding that our vote in favor of said conciliation meeting would be provisional in nature, as I was expecting that the committees concerned would be submitting to the council its subsequent report on the result of conciliation meeting. It was for the reason that I voted yes in favor of the committee’s recommendation,” Tan said.
He said he was later informed that there is no more forthcoming report from the committees concerned about the matter.
Under the circumstances, Tan said he was convinced that the conciliation meeting is not a legal or valid remedy.
"I am apprehensive that such proposal will give rise to more complicated issues. This is the reason why I want to withdraw my affirmative vote to the committee recommendation to resort to conciliation meeting,” he said.
Tan’s letter was endorsed to the City Council during the regular session Wednesday, but it was only noted by the Council.
Under the City Council’s internal rules, the legislator can only withdraw his vote once the Council has a control over it, but when the resolution was already finished and was disposed, the legislator can no longer withdrew his vote.
On July 7, 2016, Schools Division Superintendent Cynthia Demavivas sent a letter addressed to former Mayor Monico Puentevella stating that Nikka Trading delivered computer packages, not speech laboratory sets as indicated in their purchase request.
Demavivas submitted the request to the City Mayor’s Office for the acquisition of 22 sets of K to 12 Interactive Language Laboratory for the 22 public high schools in the city last February 26, 2016.
