Rama says ‘illegal’ to live stream bid process

September 18, 2023

Mayor Mike Rama vetoed the measure institutionalizing the live streaming of public bidding in Cebu City.

In a September 5, 2023 letter sent to the council, Rama said the measure authored by Council Rey Gaelon violates the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

It also supersedes the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Government Procurement Reform Act and compromises the general welfare clause provided under the Local Government Code, according to Rama. (https://tinyurl.com/ytvsx22t)

Under the “Live Streaming of the Bidding Process of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the City of Cebu,” the whole bidding process would be live streamed from start to finish on the city’s social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook and on its official website.

The mayor assured that BAC officials comply with the IRR of the Government Procurement Reform Act by inviting representatives from the Commission on Audit and two observers from nongovernment organizations, who are not included in the voting, during the bidding process.

Gealon told SunStar Cebu said Rama’s veto “killed” the proposal’s intention for transparency and accountability.

“I strongly believe that the ‘general welfare clause’ invoked by the good mayor to defeat the ordinance is the same clause I relied upon as author to uphold the primordial right of the people to know how the bidding process is undertaken towards the utilization of public funds,” the councilor said.

“Having merely noted the mayor’s veto during the regular session, this ordinance, whose noble intention is the pursuit of transparency and accountability, is killed.”