BY VICTOR REYES
DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has
approved the recommendation of a fact-finding body to refer to
the Ombudsman further investigation of at least four officials
involved in the irregular bidding of P1.2 billion worth of
night-capable attack helicopters.
Teodoro did not name the officials but a
source said they were led by Roberto Noqui, chair of the bids
and awards committee (BAC) that declared Asian Aerospace as the
winning bidder although the firm’s aircraft cannot carry the
required payload of 3,000 pounds.
He was replaced as DND assistant secretary
for comptrollership last year.
The source said the three others were
recently retired Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Insierto, a provisional
member of the BAC; Gladys Cagadoc, defense assistant secretary
for plans and programs and BAC vice chairman; and Air Force Maj.
Rummel Perez, who supposedly led the test flight of the aircraft
offered by Asian Aerospace.
Teodoro ordered a probe on the BAC members
early last year after initial investigation established
irregularities in the bidding.
He also sidelined the project. Its funds were
integrated into the helicopter acquisition project that is now
in the bidding process.
A DND probe body established "complicity" of
the four but virtually cleared several other former members of
the BAC – then AFP vice chief and now defense undersecretary for
modernization Antonio Romero, Brig. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni, and
director Edna Guevarra of the office of the undersecretary for
internal affairs.
The anomaly was discovered after the losing bidder, Swidnik
of Poland, filed a complaint against Asian Aerospace. The Polish
firm detailed overpricing and alterations of the technical
details of the bidding.