Lacson Adds ‘SAHOD’ to CORRUPTIONary of Flood Control Projects; Bares ‘Accreditation for Sale’ Scheme

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson’s CORRUPTIONary, or the dictionary of corrupt practices in the wake of the flood control scandal, continues to grow.

On Wednesday, Lacson added a new term to the CORRUPTIONary: “Sahod,” or the collusion among contractors who take part in a bidding for infrastructure projects even if they know the result beforehand.

“Ito ang collusion ng contractors na sumasama sa bidding. Alam nilang talo sa bidding, sasahod sila, babayaran sila para matalo para maging legit ang bidding. Kailangan may kasamang iba pero kasama sa gastos yan (This is the collusion of contractors who take part in a bidding. The other contractors know they will not win but they join anyway to make the bidding seem legitimate because they will get a share),” Lacson said during the interpellation of his privilege speech on flood control projects.

In Filipino: CORRUPTIONary ni Lacson, Nadagdagan; ‘Accreditation for Sale’ Ibinunyag

Earlier, Lacson’s initial list of terms in the CORRUPTIONary include:

* Distinct: Multiple budget items seen in the General Appropriations Act with the same contract cost
* Funders: the politicians who are proponents of the project, who get 20 to 25 percent of the project cost.
* Passing Through/Parking Fee: the “royalty” to politicians who control a district where the project will be implemented. It can take 5 to 6% of the project cost.
* Reseta: 2-3% kickback of the District Engineering Office. It is the “excess” amount from the contractor’s profit

Lacson also pushed for a revisiting of the law creating the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), after receiving information that the implementing board of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), which is under the Department of Trade and Industry, resorts to “accreditation for sale.”

“I talked to some private contractors, they had this experience … Sila na ang bahala sa bank certificate and other requirements, for a fee of P2 million for the first time (I talked to some private contractors, they had this experience that the PCAB will take care of paperwork such as the bank certificate and other requirements, for a fee of P2 million for the first time),” he said.

In his interpellation, Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III noted that a contractor linked to a ghost project in Bulacan that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected had its PCAB license renewed from 2025 to 2027, allowing them to participate in massive government projects. “How can this happen?” he said.

“It is the PCAB that issues accreditation even to agencies na nabanggit ni Sen. Sotto na may kaso sa Court of Tax Appeals, i-renew pa ang accreditation. Single A ang accreditation bibigyan ng malaking project (PCAB issues or renews accreditation even of agencies that Sen. Sotto noted have a case before the Court of Tax Appeals, or allows Single A accreditation companies to bag big projects),” Lacson stressed.

He said these should be tackled when the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee resumes its hearings on the flood control projects, with the PCAB, Department of Public Works and Highways, and all related agencies.

Lacson agreed with the suggestion of Sotto that since the blacklisting of erring contractors is only for one year, it should be increased to three to five years. He agreed with Sotto’s suggestion of a cap on how many government infrastructure projects a contractor may be awarded.

“I think we should revisit RA 4566 para ma-check itong, anomaly, kailangan update natin ang batas (I think we should revisit Republic Act 4566 to check these anomalies. We must update the law),” Lacson replied.

Lacson likewise sought a second look into the interlocking directorships of some contractors, noting that the documents of several corporations have similar directors.

“This is a practice committed by unscrupulous corporations that deal with government, particularly flood control projects,” he said.

More importantly, Lacson said there should be close coordination among government agencies to combat this collusion. “Dapat check and balance sa halip na collusion (There should be check and balance instead of collusion),” he said.

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CORRUPTIONary ni Lacson, Nadagdagan; ‘Accreditation for Sale’ Ibinunyag

Patuloy na lumalaki ang CORRUPTIONary ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson — o ang talaan ng mga katiwalian kaugnay ng iskandalo sa flood control projects.

Noong Miyerkules, nagdagdag si Lacson ng bagong termino sa CORRUPTIONary: “Sahod,” o ang sabwatan ng mga kontratista na sumasali sa “scripted” na bidding para sa mga proyekto sa imprastruktura.

“Ito ang collusion ng contractors na sumasama sa bidding. Alam nilang talo sa bidding, sasahod sila, babayaran sila para matalo para maging legit ang bidding. Kailangan may kasamang iba pero kasama sa gastos yan,” ani Lacson sa interpellation ng kanyang privilege speech ukol sa flood control projects.

Nauna nang inilista ni Lacson ang mga terminong kabilang sa CORRUPTIONary, kabilang ang:

* Distinct: Maramihang budget items na makikita sa General Appropriations Act na may parehong halaga ng kontrata
* Funders: Mga pulitikong proponent ng proyekto na kumukuha ng 20 hanggang 25 porsyento ng halaga ng proyekto
* Passing Through/Parking Fee: Ang “royalty” para sa mga pulitikong may kontrol sa distrito kung saan ipatutupad ang proyekto, na umaabot ng 5 hanggang 6% ng halaga ng proyekto
* Reseta: 2-3% kickback ng District Engineering Office. Ito ang “sobra” mula sa tubo ng kontratista

Itinulak din ni Lacson ang pagrepaso sa batas na lumikha sa Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), matapos matuklasan na ang implementing board ng Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), na nasa ilalim ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), ay sangkot sa iregularidad. Tinutukoy niya ang impormasyon na nagsasabing mayroong “accreditation for sale” sa PCAB.

“I talked to some private contractors, they had this experience … Sila na ang bahala sa bank certificate and other requirements, for a fee of P2 million for the first time,” ani Lacson.

Sa kanyang interpellation, binanggit ni Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III na isang kontratista na sangkot sa ghost project sa Bulacan na ininspeksyon ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay nabigyan pa rin ng renewal ng PCAB license mula 2025 hanggang 2027, kaya’t nakasali sa malalaking proyekto ng pamahalaan. “How can this happen?” aniya.

“It is the PCAB that issues accreditation even to agencies na nabanggit ni Sen. Sotto na may kaso sa Court of Tax Appeals, i-renew pa ang accreditation. Single A ang accreditation bibigyan ng malaking project,” diin ni Lacson.

Aniya, dapat itong talakayin muli sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa flood control projects, kasama ang PCAB, Department of Public Works and Highways, at iba pang kaugnay na ahensya.

Sumang-ayon si Lacson sa mungkahi ni Sotto na ang blacklisting ng mga tiwaling kontratista ay mula sa isang taon ay gawing tatlo hanggang limang taon. Sang-ayon din siya sa mungkahi ni Sotto na magtakda ng limitasyon sa dami ng government infrastructure projects na maaaring makuha ng isang kontratista.

“I think we should revisit RA 4566 para ma-check itong, anomaly, kailangan update natin ang batas,” tugon ni Lacson.

Hinimok din niya na silipin ang interlocking directorships ng ilang kontratista, matapos makita na ang mga dokumento ng ilang korporasyon ay may magkakatulad na directors.

“This is a practice committed by unscrupulous corporations that deal with government, particularly flood control projects,” aniya.

Higit sa lahat, iginiit ni Lacson na dapat may mas mahigpit na koordinasyon ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno upang labanan ang ganitong uri ng sabwatan. “Dapat check and balance sa halip na collusion,” aniya.

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