Just this week the company Anos Research Manufacturing (AMR), the sole local manufacturer of fire trucks in our country, came out with a full page ad in several major newspapers expressing its disappointment on the decision of Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to open the bidding for the purchase of fire trucks to foreign companies. Apparently for the past several years, AMR has been the sole supplier of fire trucks for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). It is therefore not surprising that it is now questioning Robredo’s decision to accept other bidders from other countries.
I can’t understand why AMR is questioning this move of Robredo since there is really nothing wrong about it, given that all government procurements of equipment should, by law, undergo transparent and accountable public bidding wherein different suppliers can take part. If AMR is very confident about the quality of its product, then it should be more than willing to comply with the bidding process and not bring the issue to the bar of public opinion, as it is doing now.
As for supporting Filipino-made products, I am all for that policy, but this does not mean that, if a locally made fire truck is inferior and more expensive than a foreign-made one, I have no choice but still to buy the locally made product, never mind that this would cost government millions of pesos more or expose human lives to greater danger.
Wouldn’t it be a graver injustice to Filipinos if we have to pay more for a fire truck that we all know is of lower quality than a foreign-made fire truck? Given our government’s lack of resources to support the BFP, the millions of pesos that the BFP and the Department of Interior and Local Government will save through a proper and transparent bidding process could easily be used to buy additional fire prevention equipment that would eventually benefit the general public.
I hope that AMR would be professional enough to accept the decision made by the DILG and the BFP and not act like a spoiled brat or sore loser trying to gain public sympathy in the court of public opinion.
The DILG is doing AMR no injustice. The only injustice here is how AMR is now trying to tarnish the name of a good, upright leader because he decided against a few vested interests by making the right decision that will ultimately benefit the Filipino people.
—HARVEY S. KEH,
lead convenor,
Kaya Natin! Movement for Good
Governance and Ethical Leadership,
Email: harveykeh@gmail.com