Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday demolished the claim of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan that the ghost flood control projects in Bulacan’s first engineering district are an isolated case.
Lacson said that in looking into the greed and corruption behind several defective and ghost flood control projects, he had his staff conduct case studies not only in Bulacan but also in Mindoro and other areas.
He also stressed that now is the time for the DPWH to conduct a full internal audit of its projects, starting with the flood control projects.
“When you say it is an isolated case, it sounds like a defense mechanism. It suggests you don’t intend to conduct a full-scale and comprehensive investigation. And I expected that, so I had my teams check projects in other areas,” he said in Filipino in an interview on True FM, when asked about the matter.
“I expected that ‘isolated case’ line and I can say this is not an isolated case. That is why we conducted case studies in Pampanga, Northern Luzon and other areas, just to debunk the claims that Bulacan is an isolated case,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Dinurog ang Pahayag ng DPWH Secretary na ‘Isolated Case’ ang Ghost Projects sa Bulacan
He was referring to reports quoting Bonoan as saying that based on reports from those who validated the projects, it was only in Bulacan’s first engineering district that they found information about some of these ghost projects.
Lacson, in his privilege speech last Aug. 20, provided details of tainted and ghost flood control projects not just in Bulacan but also in Pampanga, La Union and Oriental Mindoro, among others.
When asked if it was possible that the DPWH head office was not privy to all the information because of the “syndicates” there, Lacson said it is still Bonoan’s responsibility to act on them.
“He may not be made aware of it, but it is still his responsibility. Now is the time to audit everything, at least when it comes to flood control projects,” he said.
Lacson also said he hopes the fraud audit being conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) will be “comprehensive and extensive enough” so the public can see how their taxes were spent.
“The allocation of funds for projects in an area should be based on the needs and priorities of the constituents. So I hope it will come out in the audit,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said he is not discounting the possibility of a sequel to his privilege speech, should his staff unearth new modus operandi that his Aug. 20 privilege speech did not cover.
In the meantime, he encouraged the public and the media anew to use the SumbongsaPangulo website in reporting defective and ghost projects.
Lacson also reiterated that there should be certainty of punishment on those found liable.
“I hope the investigation bears fruit and those responsible will be punished, charged and jailed,” he said in a separate interview on NET 25.
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Lacson, Dinurog ang Pahayag ng DPWH Secretary na ‘Isolated Case’ ang Ghost Projects sa Bulacan
Dinurog ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes ang pahayag ni Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan na ang ghost flood control projects sa unang engineering district ng Bulacan ay isolated case lamang.
Sinabi ni Lacson na sa pagsisiyasat sa kasakiman at korapsyon sa likod ng ilang palpak at ghost flood control projects, ipinag-utos niya sa kanyang staff na magsagawa ng case studies hindi lamang sa Bulacan kundi pati na rin sa Mindoro at iba pang lugar.
Binigyang-diin din niya na ngayon na ang tamang panahon para magsagawa ang DPWH ng masusing internal audit ng lahat ng kanilang proyekto, simula sa mga flood control projects.
“Pag sinabi mong isolated case, defense mechanism yan. Ibig sabihin walang planong magsagawa ng malawakang imbestigasyon. Yan ang ine-expect ko kaya marami kaming tiningnan,” aniya sa isang panayam sa True FM, nang tanungin tungkol sa usapin.
“Yan na ang ine-expect ko, ‘ah isolated case yan.’ Pero hindi ito isolated case. Kaya nag-random kami para di sabihin. Kaya several case studies, meron sa Pampanga, North Luzon, para hindi sabihing isolated case,” dagdag niya.
Tinutukoy ni Lacson ang napaulat na sinabi ni Bonoan na batay sa mga ulat mula sa mga nag-validate ng mga proyekto, sa unang engineering district ng Bulacan lang sila nakakuha ng impormasyon ukol sa ilan sa mga ghost projects na ito.
Sa kanyang privilege speech noong Agosto 20, inilatag ni Lacson ang mga detalye ng mga palpak at ghost flood control projects hindi lang sa Bulacan kundi pati sa Pampanga, La Union, Oriental Mindoro, at iba pa.
Nang tanungin kung posible bang hindi alam ng DPWH head office ang lahat ng impormasyon dahil sa presensya ng mga “sindikato” doon, sinabi ni Lacson na responsibilidad pa rin ni Bonoan na kumilos.
“Pwedeng hindi alam pero responsibility nila yan. Ito ang time na dapat i-audit nila lahat. Internal audit nila lahat, at least sa flood control projects kasi makikita nila yan,” aniya.
Dagdag pa ni Lacson, umaasa siyang ang fraud audit na isinasagawa ng Commission on Audit (COA) ay magiging “comprehensive and extensive enough” upang makita ng publiko kung paano ginastos ang kanilang buwis.
“Kasi dapat need-based at priority-based ang pagbuhos ng pondo sa isang lugar. So I hope makita lahat yan,” aniya.
Samantala, sinabi rin ni Lacson na hindi niya isinasantabi ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng “Part 2” ang kanyang privilege speech, kung makakatuklas ang kanyang mga staff ng mga bagong modus operandi na hindi naisama sa kanyang unang talumpati noong Miyerkules.
Sa ngayon, hinikayat niya muli ang publiko at media na gamitin ang SumbongsaPangulo website sa pag-uulat ng mga palpak at ghost projects.
Muling iginiit ni Lacson na dapat magkaroon ng katiyakan ang pagpaparusa sa mga mapapatunayang may sala. “I hope may mangyari at may maparusahan, may makasuhan at may makulong,” aniya sa isang hiwalay na panayam sa NET 25.
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