CUC officials: No contract yet for purchase of Rota generator

Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board chair Miranda Villagomez Manglona presides over the board’s special meeting at CUC conference room last Friday. Manglona denied that a contract has already been signed with a company for the emergency purchase of a power generator for Rota. (Ferdie de la Torre)

Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board chair Miranda V. Manglona and CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho have stated that there is no signed contract yet between CUC and a private company for an emergency purchase of a power generator for Rota.

In separate interviews last Friday, Manglona and Camacho both expressed confidence that they are moving in the right direction for this emergency purchase of generator, as they are being guided by the Office of the Attorney General.

Manglona said they had explained at their last board meeting why they had to do an emergency purchase procurement for the generator to be shipped and installed on Rota, which has been encountering power supply problem.

“As for the winning bidder, I leave it up to the selection bid committee. They are the ones looking into that,” Manglona said.

She reiterated Camacho’s assurance that CUC is working with the OAG on this matter.

The OAG’s Civil Division chief, Christopher M. Timmons, attended the CUC board’s special meeting and executive session last Friday.

“What happened in the past, I have no idea. I don’t want to bring it up. It’s in the past. Let them deal with that. But what we are doing now is we are dealing with it in a separate way,” Manglona said.

She said the contract has not gotten to her and that she believes it is still with the selection committee or with Camacho.

“But I haven’t seen it yet. I will leave it up to the executive director,” she said.

Manglona said she has no comment as to Rep. Edwin K. Propst’s (Ind-Saipan) recent statement that questioned why the CUC selection committee changed its decision in identifying a winning bidder and chose International Bridge and Construction Marianas Inc.

“We are working with the Office of the Attorney General,” Manglona said.

Camacho assured that they are guided by the OAG, which represents them. “I am happy for that. And we are getting guidance from them,” he said.

Miranda V. Manglona

He emphasized that there has been no contract signed or awarded to International Bridge.

He pointed out that the CUC board of directors approves contracts.

“Who said we awarded? …There is no contract [yet] with this engine on Rota. …No contract,” Camacho said, adding that the only thing that has been agreed or approved is the agreement with Rota Resort.

“That’s the only thing at this point. There is no winning bidder,” Camacho said.

Citing an “electric power problem” on Rota, the CUC board of directors declared an emergency situation for the island last Jan. 28 in order to establish a reserve power capacity.

The CUC board had to issue the declaration in order for Rota CUC to be able to connect to the Rota Resort, while they are in the process of fixing the power engine at the Songsong Power Plant.

Propst recently questioned an alleged emergency purchase contract that was reportedly awarded to International Bridge, a company connected to a similar deal with CUC about two years ago that raised a lot of red flags.

International Bridge vice president Robert W. Toelkes last week responded to Propst’s allegations by stating, among other things, that their family had been accepting and completing construction projects in the Marianas and other Pacific Islands.