The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) has denied Manila North Tollways Corportation’s (MNTC) request for reconsideration but has given the company seven days or until February 18 to file a protest on the denial on its bid to operate, manage and maintain (O & M contract) the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway for 33 and half years.

In a media update, BCDA said that the BCDA Asset Disposition Program (ADP) Committee denied MNTC’s request for reconsideration, which was confirmed by the BDCD Boarding its meeting last February 10.

BCDA has refused to divulge the reason for the denial of MNTC's, request for reconsideration, which was received by the disposition agency last Febuary 1. MNTC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).

Similarly, the BCDA Board had denied the San Miguel Corp.-led Northlink Toll Management Inc. (Northlink) letter of protest submitted last January 9.

It could be recalled that BCDA declared MNTC’s technical bid for the P30.35 billion tollroad eligible but declared its financial bid non-complying so it was given until February 1 to submit its letter for reconsideration.

On the other hand, Northlink’s technical bid was declared ineligible and as such its financial bid was no longer opened.

Just the same, Northlink was given until January 29 to file its protest, which was subsequently denied.

Under the Terms of Reference on the privatization of the 97.3 kilometer expressway, if the bidder failed in the technical bid, its financial bid will no longer be opened.

While BCDA refused to divulge its reason for the denial on MNTC's request for reconsideration, MPIC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan was quoted as saying that the financial terms required by BCDA to operate the country’s longest tollway are “unrealistic.” Pangilinan said that the small volume of traffic at the SCTEx would require the winning contractor to subsidize the operation.

Under the SCTEX privatization program, the winning bidder will enter into a lease or concession agreement with BCDA to manage, operate and maintain the SCTEX on “as is, where is,” basis for a period of 33 and a half years or until 2043.