Highly-capable Budget chief Pangandaman can end procurement mess – Recto

Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto called on Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to conduct a “post mortem on delayed and bungled” procurement activities of the Procurement Service which is under the Department of Budget and Management.

This as Recto expressed full faith and confidence on Pangandaman’s desire and ability to include the controversial buying arm of the government in her reform project. 

“I have no doubt that the highly capable Secretary Pangandaman will do what is right,” Recto said, stressing that the Commission on Audit-discovered irregularities in PS-DBM operations “did not happen during her watch.”

“These are problems she inherited and I think that she will not allow these to continue,” the Batangas lawmaker said. 

“The DBM is under new management. With the change of guards comes a change of rules for the better,” Recto said.

Recto urged Pangandaman to prepare “an exit plan” that will phase down PS-DBM’s big ticket procurement activities.

“Those in the last-mile of procurement should be allowed to finish. Pero ‘yung hindi pa nasisimulan, kailangan na siguro i-return to sender,” said Recto in calling for the return of allotments to agencies which tapped PS-DBM as their buying agent.

Recto said any drive to reforming the Procurement Service should begin with DBM leadership’s commitment “to reject orders and pressures from above or anywhere that they conduct the bidding of goods, the nature of which are beyond their technical skills to evaluate.” 

“’Yan ang simula. Na huwag hayaan ang PS gamitin bilang isang parking lot of funds, or a facility to extend the validity of fund allotments,” Recto said.

 This as Recto recognized the value of PS as an agency that can save taxpayers money through bulk-buying of common-use supplies and equipment.

“Maganda ‘yung original mandate. But when it was forced to become a ‘central buying politburo’, doon na nagkaproblema,” he said.