By Joel E. Zurbano

SIX big construction firms submitted bids for a road rehabilitation project in Metro Manila even as the Public Works Department began its inquiry into the alleged rigging of bids for a World Bank-assisted project.

The department will announce the winner next month after it determines if they have complied with all the requirements for the P978-million rehabilitation of Marcos Highway from Marikina to Antipolo.

Hunan Road and Bridge Corp. offered P969.554 million; F.F. Cruz and Co. Inc., P1.138 billion and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd., P1.168 billion.

The three other bidders were Vicente T. Lao Construction with P1.431 billion; Italian Thai Development Public Co. Ltd, P1.298 billion and EEI Corp., P1.487 billion.

?This is not yet final. This does not necessarily mean that the lowest bidder will immediately get the project,? said Public Works Undersecretary Romeo Momo, who also heads the bids and award committee.

Momo said the bidding was only a short one since there were only six bidders who expressed interest in the project.

Representatives from Road Watch, a non-government organization, and a number of journalists attended the bidding held yesterday at the agency?s main office in Port Area, Manila. Members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, Commission on Audit and the technical team from the department also witnessed the submission of bids.

The project to upgrade the 4.7- kilometer, eight-lane urban arterial highway to a fully concrete road is part of the World Bank-assisted National Roads Improvement and Management Program, also known as NRIMP 2.

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said his department will look into the bid rigging in the World Bank-assisted NRIMP-1.

?Sorry for them. They have to face the consequences. If they said I was involved, then I have to face the consequences,? Ebdane said.

The World Bank had debarred Filipino-owned firms E. C. de Luna Construction Corp. and its owner Eduardo de Luna, Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp., CM Pancho Construction Inc. and four Chinese firms?China Road and Bridge Corp., China State Construction Corp., China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. and China Geo-Engineering Corp.

Ebdane said the department does not have access to the evidence gathered by the World Bank. ?We will be conducting a thorough investigation to determine the culpability, and are currently organizing an investigation panel through the Mancom [management committee] that will be tasked to act with objectivity, precision and speed.?

Ebdane said he wants results by Jan. 30 and that the Mancom, headed by Senior Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan, will also be cooperating with the Office of the Ombudsman on the investigation.

?In the meantime, these companies will be prevented from participating in any bidding for locally funded or foreign-assisted projects for a period of 15 days. During this time, it will be determined if they should be disallowed from participating in other projects from funding institutions,? he said.

To prevent collusion among bidders, the department will adopt post-qualification procedures that will determine the capability of bidders.