Senator Francis Tolentino wants pending anti-graft bills to be included in the proposed new procurement law being requested by Malacanang.
Tolentino said there are existing bills he filed under the 19th Congress which he wants to be part of the provisions of the proposed Government Procurement Code requested by Malacanang to the legislature during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.
“I have filed six bills filed on government procurement. So, this will be consolidated if there is a new version of Republic Act No. 1984—our Procurement Act,” Tolentino, in an interview on DZBB Sunday, said
He said these bills will just be included in the new law.
Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, spearheaded a series of inquiries in connection with the alleged anomalous purchase by the government of outdated and overpriced laptops for public school teachers.
Following the Senate investigation, Tolentino filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 1802, which seeks to abolish the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), the primary government agency involved in various anomalous contracts. He also pressed to abolish PS-DBM.
Under the said Senate bill, the senator also seeks the registration of all future joint ventures (JVs) that will participate in government bidding with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Right after the Blue Ribbon panel’s probe on the government purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, Tolentino also filed Senate Bill Nos. 2272 and 2273, which mandate full transparency and full disclosure from the government in the future supply agreements and purchase contracts as
well as requiring the participation of the Office of the Solicitor General in negotiating with foreign governments.
“There should be no more non-disclosure agreements. It should be open,” he said.
The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 618, which seeks to establish a uniform warehousing and inventory system for all government procuring entities, and Senate Bill No. 619, which mandates all government suppliers, contractors, and consultants to submit necessary requirements to prove their respective financial capacity.
Tolentino admitted that the entire Procurement Act under RA 1984 needs a total overhaul and hopes that his proposals will be included in the provisions of the new procurement code.