Requesting Entity: Catalina Security Agency

Issues Concern: Classification of Security Services

Details

Whether security services may be classified as consulting services, and thus, allow the procuring entity to employ either a quality-cost based or quality based evaluation /selection procedure.

Section 5 of Republic Act No. (R.A.) 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations Part A (IRR-A) expressly classify security services as goods and not consulting services.

Consequently, procurement of security services should be governed by the rules on procurement of goods and not consulting services. Hence, during bid opening, procuring entity must utilize the non-discretionary pass/fail criteria. The financial bids are then arranged from the lowest to the highest and the bidder with the lowest calculated bid goes through post-qualification first. If the lowest calculated bid is post disqualified, then the next lowest calculated bid goes through post qualification. Award is given to the lowest competitive bid which passes post qualification.