Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday he would uncover some “skeleton projects” that are no better than ghost projects when he questions government officials about the proposed 2021 national budget.
“The President says he hates ‘ghost’ projects. ‘Skeleton’ projects couldn’t be any better. Will show some when I interpolate [sic] on the 2021 national budget,” he said in his Twitter account.
Lacson did not explain the difference between “skeleton” and ghost projects, however.
The senator posted his tweet after the President told a Cabinet meeting Thursday that “partial delivery” and “ghost projects” were among the most common practices hounding the infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
While the President told corrupt DPWH personnel to resign or face charges, he went out of his way to clear Secretary Mark Villar of wrongdoing.
On Friday, Villar said he blacklisted at least 25 contractors who are now barred from doing business with his department—the highest number in the past 20 years.
“Let this be a warning to our contractors that this administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is serious in its anti-corruption drive and will not tolerate those who bagged big amounts of civil works contracts but deliberately violate the law for personal gains,” Villar said.
Contractors who violate the terms and conditions of contracts may face blacklisting or be suspended from participating in any government project in accordance with existing laws and policies.
As an administrative sanction, the blacklisted contractor is prevented from participating in all government projects for a period of one year based on the implementing rules and regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act.
On Jan. 31, 2020, Villar blacklisted St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor & Development, which has P8.861 billion worth of contracts for various projects,for the delay in implementation of a building project in Indang, Cavite.
Syndite Construction Corp., which had P5.58 billion in project contracts, was suspended Sept. 6, 2018, for a year for failing to deliver in the construction of a flood control system in Cagayan.
Although thousands of public works projects are being undertaken, systems are in place in the Department to ensure that these contracts are stringently monitored and safeguarded from any negligence, Villar said.
Villar introduced a monitoring system using drones and geographic-based status reports with the progress of the projects confirmed via satellite photography or geotagging to counter ghost projects.
On Friday, the Department of Justice-led Task Force Against Corruption said it has received about 10 complaints of corruption in government agencies since it activated its operating center on Thursday.
Justice Menardo Guevarra said task force would still need to sort them out and identify the agencies concerned.
Guevarra said member agencies of the task force are not exempt from investigation of misdeeds by their officials and employees.
He added that they are aware that the credibility of the task force hinges to a great extent on the ability of the member agencies to clean their own respective backyards.
The task force earlier said it has set parameters to determine which allegations would be considered.
A minimum threshold of P1 billion in public funds involved will be one of those parameters.
On the list are allegations of irregularities in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Land Registration Authority.
The group, headed by the Department of Justice, is composed of the National Bureau of Investigation, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Special Assistant to the President, National Prosecution Service, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
On Thursday night, Duterte urged officials and employees involved in ghost projects at the DPWH should resign now.
“Resign now because when time comes, I will throw the book at you, even the kitchen sink, and you will be prosecuted administratively and criminally [and you] will be not forgiven,” Duterte said .
Duterte said regional directors were mostly behind ghost projects.
The President also named more than 20 officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) who have either been dismissed or suspended on various charges.
Those dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman from the BOC were:
Lomontod C. Macabando, grave misconduct; Ramon Hernandez, gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct; Raymond Cabigon, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Gil Senen E. Gamil, gross misconduct of duty, grave misconduct, dishonesty; Raymond Cabigon, gross misconduct of duty, grave misconduct, dishonesty; Vincent Gamboa, grave misconduct; Lyceo Martinez, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Filomeno Salazar, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Vicente Torres, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Renly Tiñana, grave misconduct, conduct grossly prejudicial to the service; Jaybee Raul U. Cometa, gross misconduct of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Agnes Fabian, dishonesty (Ombudsman dismissal affirmed by Department of Finance); Allan Pagkalinawan, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service (Ombudsman dismissal affirmed by Department of Finance); Ramon Anquilan, grave misconduct; and Aristotle Tumala, grave misconduct.
Duterte read the names of three other BOC employees who are under investigation, although he said they may have already been dismissed.
They were Geniefelle Lagmay, grave misconduct; Tomas Alcid, grave misconduct; and Fahad Al-Rashid Lucman, serious dishonesty, falsification of documents.
“I think this is still pending before the Civil Service Commission or already dismissed,” the President said, referring to Lucman.
Those suspended and are facing charges before the BOC are: Dante Baleva, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service; Ma. Rosario Acosta, neglect of duty (case still with the adjudicating body of the Bureau of Customs; Noel Carandang, gross neglect of duty; and Dolores Domingo, under investigation by the Ombudsman.
He also mentioned two Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials, Jovita Aragona and Calixto Gabuya Jr., who have been placed under preventive suspension for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
“We can expect shortly the decision on these cases,” Duterte said.