Tag: House of Representatives

Posted on

Lacson Discovers ‘Passing Through’ Modus in Overpriced Flood Control and Infra Projects

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson has discovered a modus operandi involving lawmaker-contractors that may add to the overpricing or substandard construction – or both – of flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Lacson said the scheme, dubbed “passing through,” involves a contractor having to pay five to six percent of the project cost when building a project in a legislative district where the lawmaker is a contractor, or where the lawmakers’ relatives are contractors.

“For example, if a contractor builds a project in the district of a lawmaker who is a contractor or who has relatives that are contractors, he/she must pay a five-percent ‘passing through’ fee, like a toll. That already deducts from the cost of the project. This is known in the Department of Public Works and Highways,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio Sunday.

“The fee is usually five percent but sometimes it goes up to six. Based on the information we got from contractors, the project is compromised,” he added. “How will the contractor be compensated if he/she does not use substandard materials or take shortcuts? The government is thus shortchanged.”

In Filipino: Lacson, Natuklasan ang ‘Passing Through’ Modus sa Overpriced Flood Control at Infra Projects

Continue reading “Lacson Discovers ‘Passing Through’ Modus in Overpriced Flood Control and Infra Projects”

Posted on

Lacson: Senate, House Resolutions Opening the Budget Process to the Public a Big Step vs Corruption

The resolutions by the Senate and House of Representatives to open the budget process to the public may not be foolproof but they are still a major step against “pork” in the national budget, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson welcomed the House’s adoption of House Resolution 94, which seeks to institutionalize the participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) as non-voting observers in the budget deliberations of the House appropriations committee.

He added that with the signing by himself and fellow senators of a concurrent resolution to have a transparent budget process, it will be easier to identify the lawmakers who made insertions and realignments to the budget bill.

“What we signed yesterday is a concurrent resolution so both houses of Congress thankfully are united in making the budget process transparent all the way to the bicameral conference committee,” he said.

In Filipino: Lacson: Resolusyon ng Senado at Kamara na Nagbubukas ng Budget Process sa Publiko, Malaking Hakbang Laban sa Katiwalian sa Budget

Continue reading “Lacson: Senate, House Resolutions Opening the Budget Process to the Public a Big Step vs Corruption”

Posted on

On the Senate Impeachment Court’s Remanding of the Impeachment Complaint to the House of Representatives

I agree with the opinion of the Philippine Constitution Association that constitutional concerns were raised when the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, returned the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte back to the House of Representatives.

As I have already commented earlier, the Senate, even after constituting itself into an Impeachment Court, may still be subject to judicial review by the Supreme Court if its action constitutes grave abuse of discretion as in the case of Ernesto Francisco vs the House of Representatives in 2003.

It is also worth reiterating that Article XI of our Constitution is very clear: Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people.

*****

Posted on

On the Reported ‘Blank’ Appropriations in the 2025 Budget

The bicam report on the 2025 budget that reportedly contained blank appropriations and was signed by the bicameral conference committee members looks like a repeat of the 2019 General Appropriations Act, when former President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed P95.3 billion upon the then Sotto-led Senate’s strong representation after we discovered anomalous entries in the printed Enrolled Bill that were not reflected in our ratified bicam report.

But the big difference now is, it seems nobody among the present senators dared – or cared – to scrutinize the budget documents. Hence, this controversy now brewing.

The Filipino taxpayers deserve an explanation. An examination of the Enrolled Bill printed by the House of Representatives and comparing it with the Ratified Bicam report will expose those responsible.

Unless we examine the Enrolled Bill that Congress transmitted to Malacañang, we can’t determine yet who filled in those blanks – House of Representatives, or Malacañang. A bicam report cannot be amended; it is only subject to being ratified or rejected by either or both houses.

If the Enrolled Bill is different from the ratified bicam report, the HoR being in charge of the printing should explain, as in the case of the heavily vetoed 2019 GAA. If the Enrolled Bill still contained the blank spaces, the burden shifts to the executive branch, particularly the Department of Budget and Management.

*****

Posted on

Kudos to QuadComm in Exposing Guo Hua’ping

Let’s give it to the House of Representatives’ Quad Comm for their excellent investigative work in exposing Guo Hua’ping a.k.a. Alice Guo with yet to be authenticated official(?) documents and statement of a “self-confessed spy” hired by China Ministry of State Security.

Paging ISAFP, NICA, and NSA.

Continue reading “Kudos to QuadComm in Exposing Guo Hua’ping”