I was threatened, city supplier says
AT BIDDING
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The New Bridge Electrical was the sole bidder for the electrical materials for the maintenance of streetlights of Bacolod City although five suppliers had bought bid documents from the Bids and Awards Committee yesterday.

Another bidder claimed he was threatened to back out from the bidding.

New Bridge Electrical offered a bid price of P1.771 million, while the Approved Budget for the contract is P1.775 million.

Probe oil firms,
Albee urges DOE
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee”  Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said yesterday he is calling on Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla to invoke his powers under Republic Act No. 8479 to investigate the practices of oil companies making residents of Negros Occidental pay much higher fuel rates than in Metro Manila and Cebu.

Benitez, who held a Visayan Oil Price Watchdog meeting in Bacolod City yesterday, said fuel in Negros Occidental is about P4 to 5 more a liter than in Metro Manila.

Section 15 of RA 8479, or the Oil Deregulation Act of 1998, states that the Energy secretary shall have the powers “to gather and compile appropriate information concerning, and to investigate from time to time the organization, business, conduct, practices, and management of any person or entity in the industry.”

‘SK headed
towards abolition’
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Sangguniang Kabataan is headed towards abolition, Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said yesterday.

“If you ask me it is going toward abolition,” Benitez said, pointing out that both houses of Congress agreed that there will be no hold-over SK officials during the one year in which lawmakers decide on the faith of the youth organization.

It is better for the youth to just go to school, rather than worry about politics, Benitez said.