At least 10 congressmen are allegedly serving as suppliers or contractors for government infrastructure projects, Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday said.
“Probably 10 or more,” Tulfo said in an interview with reporters, adding that the lawmakers are incumbent members of the 20th Congress.
He, however, said he was not sure if any of his colleagues in the Senate also serve contractors for government-funded projects.
Earlier, Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed that at least 67 House members in 2022 also allegedly served as contractors of their own government-funded infrastructure projects.
For his part, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will blacklist and potentially file charges against private contractors found to be involved in anomalous flood-control projects.
“If they are not able to properly explain, we will have to take it to the next step,” Mr. Marcos said in his “BBM Podcast Episode 3: Sa Likod ng SONA.”
He said some private contractors have become “notorious” in their corrupt and fraudulent schemes.
Mr. Marcos earlier directed the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Regional Project Monitoring Committee to provide a list of all flood control projects in the past three years and identify the failed and non-existent projects.
He said his decision to publicly confront the issue during his SONA stemmed from witnessing the devastation caused by substandard or faulty flood control projects during recent typhoons.
“We shouldn’t be doing this to our countrymen. This is already a sin,” the President said.
Lacson expressed full support for the President’s recent pronouncement to dissociate from political allies allegedly involved in corruption surrounding flood control projects.
“The President is on a roll and we should encourage him some more…The ball is now in his hands to make good on his promise to hold accountable all those involved—erring contractors and their cohorts in government,” Lacson said in an interview with DZBB.
Lacson said he is conducting his own investigation into questionable flood control programs.
“For the past 15 years, more than P2 trillion has been allocated for flood control projects—including drainage and desilting efforts. But dredging is difficult to audit, and corruption often goes undetected,” he said.
“Let’s start with the flood control projects. Hopefully, other infrastructure projects like road construction, repairs, and maintenance will follow,” Lacson added.
Last month, the Department of Public Works and Highways suspended and blacklisted five construction companies due to project delays, poor construction quality, and inadequate materials, prohibiting these firms from participating in any bidding for DPWH infrastructure projects until a final decision is rendered.
Among the blacklisted companies are Shear Construction and Supply, Buildways Construction and Supply, AFG Construction, DVH Construction Services, and ALJUN12 Construction Services.
“This suspension shall remain in effect during any period of reconsideration or appeal until a final decision is rendered by the Office of the Secretary,” DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said in Department Orders 126, 127, 128, 129 and 130 covering the five firms.
As this developed, DPWH Undersecretary Robert Bernardo’s name was missing in Department Order No. 145 specifying the “Authorities and Areas of Responsibilities of DPWH Key Officials.”
A source said Bonoan reportedly stripped Bernardo of his duties as overall regional operations chief of Visayas Region, National Capital Region and Region 4B.
“There are still personnel reporting in Bernardo’s office. However, no transactions or documents are being processed in his office because his prior management of operations in NCR, Region 4B, and the Visayas region has been assigned to other undersecretaries and assistant secretaries,” the official who asked not to be named said.
Tulfo, for his part, said based on the information that reached him, Bernardo took a three-month leave of absence.
