Amid a continued deluge of “isolated cases” of flood control projects, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson pushed for coordination and cooperation among concerned government agencies to thwart the collusion behind substandard and ghost projects.
Lacson continues to validate new information he and his staff are receiving regarding corrupted flood control projects other than those he detailed in his privilege speech last Aug. 20.
“Isolated case here, isolated case there, isolated cases everywhere. Maybe we should start looking for an isolated case of a corrupt-free, properly implemented flood control project,” he said in a post on X Thursday.
In Filipino: Sa Gitna ng Baha ng mga ‘Isolated Cases,’ Itinulak ni Lacson ang Pagkakaisa ng mga Ahensya Laban sa Sabwatan sa Flood Control Projects
On Wednesday, Lacson noted the Department of Public Works and Highways has become a playground for corruption, which has also involved other agencies like the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB).
Lacson suggested that the PCAB should work with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to check if contractors seeking accreditation had been blacklisted.
“Kung ma-check by way of a good record check and background investigation, kung blacklisted at ma-trace, huwag nila i-register as a corporation (If we can conduct a good record check and background investigation and see that a company is blacklisted, we can block its registration as a corporation),” he said at the interpellation of his privilege speech on substandard and ghost flood control projects.
“So, close coordination and cooperation among different agencies of government, huwag lang sila mag-collude. Dapat check and balance sa halip na collusion (So, close coordination and cooperation among different agencies of government is best. The agencies should not collude. Instead, they should provide check and balance),” he added.
During her interpellation of Lacson’s privilege speech, Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked how contracts for projects go to selected contractors, and how biddings are fixed and those involved escape accountability.
Hontiveros also asked how blacklisting erring contractors would work, when these contractors merely set up a new company and bid for contracts.
“The real culprit is collusion,” Lacson replied.
But Lacson also made it clear that the issues hounding the PCAB must be rectified. The PCAB is a government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and is one of the implementing Boards in the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP).
Under Republic Act 4566 as amended, no contractor shall engage in the business of contracting without first having secured a PCAB license to conduct business.
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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Sa Gitna ng Baha ng mga ‘Isolated Cases,’ Itinulak ni Lacson ang Pagkakaisa ng mga Ahensya Laban sa Sabwatan sa Flood Control Projects
Sa gitna ng patuloy na pagbaha ng mga “isolated cases” ng flood control projects, itinulak ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang mas matibay na koordinasyon at pagtutulungan ng mga kaukulang ahensya ng gobyerno upang masawata ang sabwatan sa likod ng mga substandard at ghost projects.
Patuloy na bineberipika ni Lacson ang mga bagong impormasyon na natatanggap niya at ng kanyang staff ukol sa mga tiwaling flood control projects bukod pa sa mga detalyeng inilatag niya sa kanyang privilege speech noong Agosto 20.
“Isolated case here, isolated case there, isolated cases everywhere. Maybe we should start looking for an isolated case of a corrupt-free, properly implemented flood control project,” ani Lacson sa isang post sa X Huwebes ng umaga.
Noong Miyerkules, binigyang-diin ni Lacson na ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ay tila nagiging pugad ng korapsyon, na kinasasangkutan din ng ibang ahensya gaya ng Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB).
Iminungkahi ni Lacson na makipagtulungan ang PCAB sa Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) upang masuri kung ang mga kontraktor na naghahanap ng akreditasyon ay dati nang na-blacklist.
“Kung ma-check by way of a good record check and background investigation, kung blacklisted at ma-trace, huwag nila i-register as a corporation,” ani Lacson sa interpelasyon ng kanyang privilege speech hinggil sa mga substandard at ghost flood control projects.
“So close coordination and cooperation among different agencies of government, huwag lang sila mag-collude. Dapat check and balance sa halip na collusion,” dagdag niya.
Sa kanyang interpelasyon, tinanong ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros kung paano napupunta sa piling kontraktor ang mga proyekto, kung paano naiimpluwensyahan ang bidding, at kung bakit nakakalusot sa pananagutan ang mga sangkot dito.
Itinanong din ni Hontiveros kung paano magiging epektibo ang blacklisting kung madaling makapagtatayo ng bagong kumpanya ang mga kontraktor at makakakuha pa rin ng kontrata.
“The real culprit is collusion,” tugon ni Lacson.
Binigyang-diin din ni Lacson na dapat ayusin ang mga isyung bumabalot sa PCAB. Ang PCAB ay isang ahensya ng gobyerno sa ilalim ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at bahagi ng Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP).
Batay sa Republic Act 4566 na inamyendahan ng P.D. No. 1746, bawal pumasok sa negosyo ng contracting ang sinumang walang lisensya mula sa PCAB.
Hinimok din ni Lacson na repasuhin ang batas na lumikha sa PCAB, matapos makatanggap ng impormasyon na ginagamit umano ng board ang “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,” aniya.
Sa kanyang interpelasyon, binanggit ni Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III na isang kontraktor na konektado sa ghost project sa Bulacan na ininspeksyon ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay muling nabigyan ng lisensya ng PCAB mula 2025 hanggang 2027, dahilan upang makasali ito sa malalaking proyekto ng gobyerno. “How can this happen?” ani Sotto.
“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.
Sinabi niya na dapat talakayin ito sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sa mga flood control projects, kasama ang PCAB, DPWH, at iba pang kaukulang ahensya.
Sumang-ayon si Lacson sa suhestiyon ni Sotto na mula sa isang taon, dapat ay tatlo hanggang limang taon ang tagal ng blacklisting ng mga tiwaling kontraktor. Pabor din siya sa mungkahi na lagyan ng limitasyon ang dami ng proyektong maaaring mapanalunan ng isang kontraktor mula sa gobyerno.
“I think we should revisit RA 4566 para ma-check itong, anomaly, kailangan update natin ang batas,” ani Lacson.
Hinimok din ni Lacson na siyasatin ang interlocking directorships ng ilang kontraktor, matapos mapansing may mga dokumento ng korporasyon na magkakapareho ang mga direktor.
“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 malapit na koordinasyon ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno upang masugpo ang sabwatan. “Dapat check and balance sa halip na collusion,” dagdag niya.
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