STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna – Stopping corruption is the key to ending the perennial flooding problem in Laguna both in the long and short terms, former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed Saturday.
Lacson said flood control programs have been plagued by corruption, citing cases where one backhoe is used only for show in several multimillion-peso dredging projects.
“For the short and long term, we must stop corruption, and I’m sure our flood control efforts will be effective. In flood control, dredging is the number one culprit as far as corruption is concerned,” he said in Filipino at the press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate here.
Related: Ping Lacson: Tigilan ang Korapsyon para Tugunan ang Problema ng Baha sa Laguna
He cited at least one case where a single backhoe was used to cover 50 projects, and was used mainly for “show” as it would do its work only when inspection teams are in the area.
But once the inspection ends, the backhoe would either be idle, or be moved to the site of another project, also for show.
“The same backhoe is used. Each project costs P50 million. And there are 50 projects. Imagine, that’s P2.5 billion down the drain. So we must remove corruption if we want the flood control projects to go right,” Lacson said.
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Ping Lacson: Tigilan ang Korapsyon para Tugunan ang Problema ng Baha sa Laguna
STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna – Para matugunan ang problema ng baha sa Laguna, dapat tigilan ang katiwalian, ayon kay dating Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.
Ani Lacson, korapsyon ang pumipilay sa mga flood control program, kung saan may kasong iisa lang ang backhoe na ginagamit sa maraming dredging project na umaabot ng bilyon-bilyong piso.
“Agaran at pangmatagalan? Tanggalin natin ang corruption, tiyak titino ang ating flood control. Ang flood control, dredging, yan No. 1 culprit,” aniya sa pulong pambalitaan ng Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate dito.
Hinalimbawa ni Lacson ang isang kaso kung saan iisa lang ang backhoe na ginagamit para sa 50 proyekto, at “for show” lamang, dahil gagamitin lang ito kung may inspection team sa lugar.
Sa oras na matapos ang proyekto, ang backhoe ay hindi na gagamitin o kaya ay ililipat sa lugar ng isa pang proyekto na para ring “for show.”
“The same backhoe. Ang cost ng project P50M. And there are 50 projects. Imagine, that’s P2.5B down the drain. So alisin natin ang corruption at titino ang ating flood control,” giit ni Lacson.
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