Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is skeptical of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s seeming cluelessness over the corruption behind substandard and ghost flood control projects implemented by his department.
Lacson said Wednesday that Bonoan should have at least been aware of these shenanigans as he had been in the DPWH for so long and rose from the ranks.
“He retired from the DPWH in 2010 after staying for so many years and rising from the ranks. He should know what’s happening on the ground. For him to say that he did not monitor these, there are only two implications – either he is in on the corruption, or he is incompetent,” he said in an interview with reporters.
In Filipino: Lacson, Duda sa ‘Pagkagulat’ ng Dating DPWH Chief sa Korapsyon sa Flood Control Projects
During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on the flood control projects Tuesday, Bonoan expressed surprise over the shenanigans involving the DPWH, particularly the Bulacan first district engineering office.
Lacson cited his experience as chief of the Philippine National Police, where he also rose from the ranks – and reformed the PNP by going after scalawags in uniform.
“As someone who rose from the ranks, you should have experience in the field and you should know the shenanigans being committed there,” he said.
In the case of the DPWH, Lacson said brazen corrupt practices such as rigging, ghost projects and manufacturing of documentary requirements did not happen just now. “It’s only now that they were exposed, but they have been happening for a long time,” he said.
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Lacson, Duda sa ‘Pagkagulat’ ng Dating DPWH Chief sa Korapsyon sa Flood Control Projects
May duda si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson sa tila pagiging inosente ng dating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan hinggil sa korapsyon sa likod ng mga palpak at guniguning flood control projects na ipinatupad ng kanyang ahensya.
Ayon kay Lacson nitong Miyerkules, dapat ay may kaalaman si Bonoan sa mga katiwaliang ito dahil matagal na siyang nanilbihan sa DPWH at umangat mula sa mababang posisyon hanggang sa itaas.
“Let’s put it this way. Nag-retire siya in 2010. Ibig sabihin, before that he stayed for so many years rising from the ranks. Alam niya nangyari sa baba. He became Secretary in 2022. To say na hindi niya namo-monitor, dalawa lang ang implications. It’s either kasabwat ka o incompetent ka,” ani Lacson sa panayam ng mga mamamahayag.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa flood control projects nitong Martes, nagpahayag si Bonoan ng pagkagulat sa mga katiwalian sa DPWH, partikular sa Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
Binanggit ni Lacson ang kanyang karanasan bilang hepe ng Philippine National Police kung saan siya rin ay umangat mula sa mababang posisyon at nagsagawa ng mga reporma sa PNP laban sa mga tiwaling pulis.
“Maski papano, may experience ka sa field, maski papano alam mo ang nangyayari. So kung ikaw nag-head ng agency, at the very least alam mo i-monitor ang shenanigans,” dagdag niya.
Sa kaso ng DPWH, sinabi ni Lacson na ang lantad na korapsyon tulad ng dayaan, ghost projects, at paggawa ng pekeng documentary requirements ay matagal nang nangyayari. “Ngayon lang nabuko ‘yan pero matagal nang nangyayari,” aniya.
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