Why showcase flood control projects as part of your accomplishment report, then disown them once they become controversial?
This was Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson’s reply to Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan, who denied involvement in a damaged flood control project that Lacson flagged in his privilege speech Aug. 20.
“First, he showcased the projects, then denied involvement in them. I cannot reconcile why he said such projects were funded by his office or were his initiative – but now that there’s a controversy, he denies involvement in it,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on DZRH radio Thursday evening.
In Filipino: Lacson, Kinwestyon si Rep. Panaligan sa Pag-Showcase ng Flood Control Projects
In his privilege speech Wednesday, Lacson cited a “congressional representative” showcasing his midterm accomplishment report, where he listed flood control and river protection initiatives as funded by his office.
Panaligan claimed the projects were already in the National Expenditure Program, and that he did not propose them.
Lacson said there may be others like Panaligan in showcasing similar projects, but they either did not post them on social media, or may have had their posts or billboards removed.
He advised Panaligan and other district representatives to keep an eye on the implementation of projects in their districts even if they are not the proponents, lest they become controversial for being substandard or ghost projects.
“If they have projects in their districts even if they are not the proponent, they should keep an eye on them. There’s nothing wrong in being blessed with projects, but make sure they are not substandard, defective, or ghost projects,” he said.
As for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Lacson advised it to be “equitable” instead of giving certain districts favorable treatment – and to rein in its corrupt district engineers.
Meanwhile, Lacson urged Malacanang to expand its “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website to cover not just flood control projects but also other infrastructure projects, citing its immense help in tracking down tainted flood control projects.
He said this is especially so since the DPWH’s website becomes inaccessible when the deliberations for the budget bill draw closer, or during controversies like the flood control project mess.
“I suspect it is deliberate,” he said of the DPWH website’s inaccessibility.
Lacson likewise reiterated his call for transparency in both houses of Congress, especially in naming on the floor the proponents of insertions, realignments and other amendments to the budget bill, to put it on record.
“It is difficult to trace who is responsible for insertions unless they are on record. And this will be a deterrent to those making questionable insertions,” he said.
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Lacson, Kinwestyon si Rep. Panaligan sa Pag-Showcase ng Flood Control Projects
Bakit ipinapakita ang mga flood control projects bilang bahagi ng accomplishment report, pero itinatanggi kapag naging kontrobersyal na?
Ito ang tugon ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson kay Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan, na tumangging may kinalaman siya sa isang maanomalyang flood control project na binanggit ni Lacson sa kanyang privilege speech noong Agosto 20.
“Nakaako lahat, pero pinagtatanggi niya na di kanya. Hindi ko ma-reconcile bakit noon, parang buong-buo ang loob ko, funded by my office, o sa akin yan. Effort ko yan, initiative ko yan. Pero ngayon may problema, wala akong kinalaman diyan,” ani Lacson sa panayam sa DZRH radio Huwebes ng gabi.
Sa kanyang privilege speech, binanggit ni Lacson ang isang “congressional representative” na ipinagmamalaki ang kanyang midterm accomplishment report, kung saan nakalista ang mga flood control at river protection initiatives na aniya ay pinondohan ng kanyang opisina.
Iginiit naman ni Panaligan na ang mga proyekto ay nasa National Expenditure Program na, at hindi siya ang nagpanukala ng mga iyon.
Ayon kay Lacson, maaaring may iba pang tulad ni Panaligan na nagpakita rin ng ganitong mga proyekto, pero hindi naipost sa social media o maaaring tinanggal na ang kanilang mga post o billboards.
Pinayuhan din ni Lacson si Panaligan at iba pang district representatives na bantayan ang implementasyon ng mga proyekto sa kanilang distrito kahit hindi sila ang proponent, upang hindi mauwi sa kontrobersiya kung substandard o ghost projects ang mga ito.
“Kung may project sa distrito nila maski di sa kanya nanggaling, bantayan nila. Wala namang problema kung nabuhusan ng proyekto ang isang distrito, huwag lang substandard, huwag lang defective at huwag ghost,” aniya.
Samantala, pinayuhan din ni Lacson ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) na maging “equitable” sa halip na mamigay ng pabor sa piling distrito — at kontrolin ang mga tiwaling district engineers nito.
Nanawagan din si Lacson sa Malacañang na palawakin ang “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website upang masaklaw din ang iba pang infrastructure projects at hindi lamang flood control projects, dahil sa malaking naitulong nito sa pagtukoy ng maanomalyang flood control projects.
Aniya, ito ay lalong mahalaga dahil nagiging inaccessible ang website ng DPWH tuwing papalapit ang deliberasyon sa budget bill, o tuwing may mga kontrobersiya tulad ng sa flood control project.
“Suspetsa ko, sinasadya,” aniya hinggil sa pagiging inaccessible ng DPWH website.
Muli ring iginiit ni Lacson ang kanyang panawagan para sa transparency sa dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso, lalo na sa pagbabanggit sa plenaryo ng mga proponents ng insertions, realignments at iba pang amendments sa budget bill, upang maitala ito.
“Napakahirap magpangalan kung sino ang responsable sa pag-insert kasi di mo ma-trace pero may record na at may deterrent na rin yan kung maturo pabalik sa kanila mag-iingat sila sa kanilang in-insert,” aniya.
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