Thursday, November 20, 2014

Almost a year after Talumpa’s ambush, still no CCTVs at NAIA 3

PAGADIAN CITY: One year after Labangan Mayor Ukol Talumpa, his wife, and two others, including an infant were killed in an ambush outside the NAIA Terminal 3's arrival area, closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system has yet to be installed, said a report from online news website interaksyon.com.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado said the two winning bidders of the P480-million CCTVs failed the post-qualification review.

Honrado explains said both bidders were inadequate in terms of specifications: the first bidder was disqualified and the second firm, which submitted the second-lowest bid, likewise failed the post-qualification review.

The post-qualification review is part of the bidding procedures before the contract is awarded.

Some 39 firms were reported to have participated in the bidding, a PDI report has said.

Last Oct. 27, the MIAA declared a failure of bidding and plans to reopen it again and publish the invitation to bid this month.

On 20 Dec. 2013, Talumpa and company flew from Zamboanga City via Cebu on board Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 852 and arrived at around in Manila near noon.

Reports said that after claiming their luggage, the mayor’s party left the arrival area and went straight to a waiting vehicle near Arrival Bay 2, where they were ambushed by the perpetrators said to be wearing police uniforms, who then escaped on board a motorcycle.

The absence of CCTV in the area where the ambush took place left airport and transport authorities under criticism as CCTVs would have greatly helped in the police investigation.

Talumpa had survived two ambush attacks - one in November 2010 in Ermita and in September 2012 when a grenade was lobbed in his house in Pagadian City.