House to ‘yield’ investigation if any solon found involved
The Senate will start on Tuesday, August 19, its legislative inquiry to gather information and evidence regarding alleged anomalies related to the government’s flood control projects.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta, chairman of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, acknowledged the complexity of the inquiry into corruption within the public works system, saying it would be a daunting task.
The probe will focus on the involvement of public officials who profited from flood control projects, not just erring contractors in question.
The House of Representatives, for its part, said it will “yield” its own investigation if a member of the lower chamber is found to be involved in anomalous contracts, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.
“We will immediately recuse [the investigation] and yield it to, whether to an independent third-party probe, if it will be formed, or to an executive led probe to make sure that there will be no conflict of interest or cover-up in the course of the tri-committee (hearings),” Rido said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, for his part, noted a “passing through” modus operandi where contractors are asked to pay 5 to 6 percent of project cost in legislative districts where the lawmaker is a contractor or their relatives are contractors.
“For example, if a contractor builds a project in the district of a lawmaker who is a contractor or who has relatives that are contractors, he/she must pay a five-percent ‘passing through’ fee, like a toll. That already deducts from the cost of the project,” he said.
“This (modus) is known in the Department of Public Works and Highways,” Lacson added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said that private contractor companies found to be involved in anomalous flood control projects will be blacklisted and potentially face charges.
“We already have some names that are coming up. First of all, the contractors who are obviously not doing a good job, we will put them on a blacklist. They can no longer have contracts with the government,” Mr. Marcos said.
Asked how much of the project cost actually goes to the project after the “passing through” fees, along with the taxes and commissions are paid, Lacson said, “sometimes less than 40 percent.”
Lacson cited as an example the practice of doing “shortcuts” in the sectioning of a dike or flood control mitigation project, where the project specifications call for 150 meters but the contractor would only complete 50 meters.
In other cases, the contractor does not follow project specifications to drive sheet piles six meters into the ground, but only drives them three meters into the ground.
“The dike will then be easily damaged because the contractor scrimps on materials,” Lacson said.
Still another case involves not mixing gravel with sand, thus weakening the foundation of a flood control project.
“If a cyclone hits and the river overflows, the structure is easily destroyed because the foundation is weak,” he said.
“People die during floods brought by cyclones. That is the worst part,” Lacson added.
As this developed, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and its affiliate organizations expressed support for San Miguel Corporation’s plan to undertake flood control projects in Metro Manila at no cost to the government or the public.
In a joint statement, PCCI, together with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), and Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), commended SMC and its chairman and CEO Ramon Ang for addressing a long-standing problem that has hampered business operations and economic growth.
The groups said the initiative was consistent with the private sector’s role in working with the government to find solutions to issues affecting trade and communities.
“We are one with the government and every Filipino in the journey to achieve a flood-free Philippines towards a better quality of life and a resilient, sustainable, and progressive economy,” the groups said.
