President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking to amend the government procurement law to focus on the quality of government suppliers instead of merely awarding the lowest bidder.

According to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Duterte, in a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Monday, said he would ask the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to amend the provision of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Act which stipulates that the lowest bidder wins government contracts.

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In a statement, Piñol said: “During today’s 13th Cabinet Meeting in Malacañang, Pres. Duterte said the lowest bid does not guarantee quality products being procured by government. ‘Lowest bid, lowest bid tapos after one year sira na,’ he said.”

“The President said quality should be given premium over lowest bid. ‘We need to amend the procurement law to correct this,’ he said,” Piñol added.

Duterte first expressed his intent to amend the way the government was awarding contracts in August last year, when he was speaking before soldiers at the Armed Forces Medical Center in Quezon City. The President said favoring the lowest bidder could be a “source of corruption.” JE

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