Senator Mark Villar on Tuesday raised concerns over reports that some contractors submitted falsified geotagged photographs of government projects to secure payments.
“The question is: did these contractors submit fake geotagged photos? If yes, that is clearly fraud. No contractor should be able to collect payment from the government through deception,” Villar said.
He recalled that during his time as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, he ordered the use of geotagging to enhance transparency and accountability in infrastructure projects. The system, he explained, was meant to ensure that photographs were taken at the correct time and location both during construction and after completion.
According to him, geotagging was intended to make it harder for contractors to manipulate records or present misleading updates. “If there are contractors finding ways to deceive the system, that is clearly an abuse of the people’s trust and must be thoroughly investigated,” he added.
Villar urged government agencies to act decisively against erring contractors to safeguard public funds. He said accountability measures must be enforced to prevent future abuses that could compromise infrastructure development.
