2 Chinese firms in Marawi rehab plan not disqualified: Roque

Malacanang on Wednesday said the two Chinese companies that are part a consortium tapped to rehabilitate war-torn Marawi City are not disqualified to participate in any government-led project.(PNA PHOTO)

MANILA – Malacanang on Wednesday said the two Chinese companies that are part a consortium tapped to rehabilitate war-torn Marawi City are not disqualified to participate in any government-led project.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this clarification after opposition Liberal Party expressed concern since the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSEC) and China Geo Engineering Corporation (CGC) were blacklisted by World Bank (WB) due to corrupt practices.

“That (WB) record will not disqualify them,” Roque told Palace reporters.

Citing procurement and build-operate-transfer laws, Roque said the two Chinese companies are qualified to participate in any public tender.

“Under the laws that provides for Swiss challenge, the company should be blacklisted by the Philippine government for them to be disqualified in participating in any public tender,” Roque, an international law expert, said.

Nevertheless, Roque said he will bring to the attention of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) the issue of the WB-blacklisted Chinese firms.

“I will call their attention to this fact and we will ask for their comments,” Roque said.

According to media reports, the CSEC and CGC have been blacklisted by WB after an investigation showed that the two companies engaged in collusive bidding schemes for a WB-funded road projects in the Philippines in 2009.

The CSEC and CGC as well as three other Chinese firms and four Filipino partners are members of the consortium that was selected to rebuild the 250-hectare most affected area of war-torn Marawi City.

Other members of the Bangon Marawi Consortium include Anhui Huali Construction Group Co. Ltd., TBEA Co. Ltd, and Shandong Jinyuan Homes Industry Development Co. Ltd from China; and, Future Homes Philippines Inc., A Brown Company, Inc., H.S. Pow Construction and Development, and SDW Realty & Development, Inc. from the Philippines.

The TFBM has said that the unsolicited proposal submitted by the consortium for the rehabilitation of Marawi’s ground zero will undergo a Swiss challenge which set to begin on May 26.

Under the Swiss challenge, the competing firms can challenge the consortium’s proposal to rebuild Marawi.