Immigration chief faces complaint over alleged ‘illegal intervention’ in e-gates bidding

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Bids and Awards Committee Vice Chairman Gilberto Repizo says Viado barged into the conference room uninvited, demanding immediate and instant approval of his sponsored terms of reference

MANILA, Philippines – A Bureau of Immigration (BI) senior official filed an administrative complaint against Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, accusing him of unauthorized and coercive intervention in the agency’s multi-billion peso e-gates project.

The complaint, filed by Gilberto Repizo, vice chairman of the BI Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), alleges that Viado disrupted a BAC meeting on Friday, May 2, to force the approval of terms of reference (TOR) for the government’s flagship e-gates project.

“Commissioner Viado barged into the conference room unannounced and uninvited, shouted at everyone in a loud voice and demanded an immediate and instant approval of his sponsored terms of reference,” Repizo wrote in the complaint addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Monday, May 5. The Office of the President received the complaint on Tuesday, May 6.

“He berated the chairman (Daniel Laogan) and the other members of the BAC, accused the BAC of favoring a supplier when what was being discussed was merely the contents of his terms of reference,” he added.

Repizo said Viado shouted in a high-pitched voice, demanding him to sign the terms of reference, yelling: “Do it!”

Repizo walked out of the meeting due to what he described as the “unauthorized and illegal intervention” of Viado. Meanwhile, BAC chairman Daniel Laogan resigned on the same day, citing “personal reasons,” following the incident.

“As head of the procuring entity, the commissioner has no power, authority and legal bases to enter — unannouced, uninvited — into a meeting of an independent BAC and force his way for the instant and immediate approval of his TOR without allowing us to study and discuss it,” Repizo said.

The e-gates project, touted by Marcos during his 2024 State of the Nation Address, is part of a major government initiative to modernize the country’s immigration processing systems.

Repizo argued that Viado’s actions compromised the integrity of the procurement process and placed the high-stakes project under a cloud of “suspicion of favoritism and corruption.”

‘Slow process’

In a statement released on Tuesday, May 6, Viado said that “his presence was not to coerce or sway anyone, but to stress the urgency of the issue at hand.”

“The terms of reference (TOR) in procuring the e-gates was crafted to upgrade and expand the system by integrating automated biometric identification systems (ABIS),” said Viado.  “This has already been approved and is set for posting.  However, during the last Bids and Awards meeting, when they were supposed to finalize the approval, a member proposed further revisions that would prolong the process,” said Viado.

“I lead with discipline and urgency. I don’t tolerate complacency — when something needs to change, it must change now. I may be strict, but I get things done,” said Viado.  “Kapag may kailangang pagbabago, hindi dapat babagal-bagal,” he added. (If there are changes needed, it should not be slow.)

He also said, “Hindi ito project na dapat ipagpabukas pa. Kung gusto natin ng pagbabago at maayos na serbisyo sa mga paliparan, dapat magawa na ito.” (This is not a project that should be postponed for tomorrow. If we want change or efficient service in airports, this must be completed.)

Marcos appointed Viado as immigration chief in September 2024, after Marcos sacked Norman Tansingco. – Rappler.com