Bidding for deal to test Mitsubishi cars fails

THE POLICE called it a “self-accident,” but Saturday’s incident on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City can further stoke the controversy hounding the Mitsubishi Montero. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry is set to review the terms of reference for the procurement of services from a third party laboratory, which will conduct full vehicle tests on the Montero model produced by Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC).

This was after the DTI declared in April a failed bidding for the contract, said Trade Undersecretary Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba.

“The investigating panel and the Department of Science and Technology will meet to review the bidding terms of reference and the scope of work. [We] will have to set another bidding timeline,” Dimagiba said Monday in a text message.

The DTI’s bids and awards committee (DTI-BAC) declared “a failure of bidding” for the procurement of third-party laboratory services as the lone bidder was deemed ineligible.

The DTI said in its report that the bidder failed to submit a document indicating that it had completed a similar project, with a value equivalent to at least 50 percent of the approved budget for the contract bid.

“There will be a mandatory review as to why there was a failure of bid. We will convene this review committee immediately,” Dimagiba said in a statement sent Sunday.

To recall, there were eight foreign laboratories that expressed interested to conduct full vehicle tests on the Montero Sport.

The tests will determine the cause of the alleged sudden and unintended acceleration (SUA) incidents involving the Montero model, distributed locally by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Inc. (MMPC). –Amy R. Remo