The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Monday denied it subcontracted the National ID Card project to AllCard Inc. in violation of the procurement guidelines.
“The BSP fully complied with the Agency-to-Agency Procurement Guidelines [negotiated procurement under Section 53.5 of the implementing rules of Republic Act No. 9184] and its agreement with the Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] regarding the printing of National IDs,” the BSP said in a statement.
It said BSP personnel conducted the operation, while ACI provided equipment, raw materials and technical support.
The Commission on Audit (COA), which reviewed the transactions of BSP, did not include any findings related to subcontracting in its BSP annual review report, it said. This is different from COA’s audit of PSA, which some parties are citing in their allegations and comments against the BSP.
“Unfounded questions about subcontracting may be diverting attention from the actual issue: AllCard’s failure to fulfill the contract approved by the Philippine Identification System [PhilSys] Council, which AllCard bid for, won and accepted. This matter is currently under arbitration following AllCard’s filing in January 2024, restricting both parties from making public statements on certain issues under arbitration,” the BSP said.
The BSP assured the public that all its agreements and contracts are conducted with full transparency and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
The BSP terminated the contract with AllCard for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of lot 1 lease of card production equipment for National ID cards. All Card then elevated the issue to arbitration.
AllCard denied being the primary cause of delays in the National ID card production, saying its impressive track record in delivering high-quality card solutions across various sectors speaks for itself.
“Our record stands as a testament to our capability and reliability in the card printing industry,” said AllCard president Roy Ebora.
“Our portfolio of successful projects demonstrates our expertise and ability to meet our clients’ needs. We have successfully printed cards for major institutions including Social Security System [SSS], Government Service Insurance System [GSIS], UMID cards, Pag-Ibig Loyalty cards and Land Transportation Office [LTO] driver’s licenses,” Ebora said.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said it trusts the decision of the BSP to terminate its contract with ACI. The PSA assured the public that it is taking necessary actions for the continuous issuance of National IDs.