The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) denies any affiliation or link of any of its officials and representatives, particularly Secretary Ramon Lopez, to the Philippine International Development Agency (PIDA).

PIDA, which claims to be a government agency handling centralized procurement services, is inviting local and foreign companies to bid for various government projects following a registration fee of USD 3,350 to its alleged agents who are mostly identified as high-ranking government officials, including Sec. Lopez.

The DTI Secretary is not at any way connected with this kind of fraudulent activity. Sec. Lopez maintains a reputable name both in private and public sectors and remains one of the trusted Cabinet Secretaries of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Any procurement requirement of DTI for its programs and projects strictly adheres to RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

DTI will not tolerate this kind of deception that intends to ruin public trust among government agencies and their representatives.

DTI has reported this group and their activity to the National Bureau of Investigation for further inquiry and legal action.♦

Date of Release: 9 October 2019
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