Tag: infrastructure

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Lacson Pushes Retribution and Restitution for Anomalous Infra Projects

“Retribution plus restitution” should be the formula of the government in dealing with erring officials and contractors behind anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson said the government – and taxpayers – can potentially get back an initial P26 billion from contracted flood control ghost projects between 2023 and 2025 worth P629 billion, with 80% possible restitution in exchange for shortened jail terms after conviction of those involved.

“A simple extrapolation using the initial finding of 421 contracted ghost flood control projects out of the 8,000 (5.26%) so far inspected by the AFP/PNP/DepDev composite team as standard, with an aggregate total amount of at least P629B worth of flood control CONTRACTED projects in 2023-2025, if all those responsible – contractors, politicians and Department of Public Works and Highways officials – will return just 80% of their loot, after a plea bargaining agreement in exchange for shortened jail terms, easily the Filipino people can recover at least P26 billion,” Lacson said.

“Imagine the hundreds of billions in taxpayers’ money that we may be able to recover out of all the other similarly corrupted infrastructure projects,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinulak ang ‘Retribution and Restitution’ Formula para sa Maanomalyang Infra Projects

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Lacson to Fellow Lawmakers: Revelations on Huge Budget Insertions a Wake-Up Call to Make 2026 Budget Pork-Free

The revelations on humongous budget insertions by the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2025 budget is not meant to put anyone on the spot but be a chance for both houses of Congress to heed the public’s outrage against corruption and ensure a pork-free budget for 2026 and beyond, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson said he explained this to fellow senators in a caucus Monday, where some of them voiced concerns that the revelation over the insertions could affect the institution.

“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,” Lacson said.

“The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and other similar investigations,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson sa mga Kapwa Mambabatas: Pagbubunyag ng Malalaking Budget Insertions, Pampagising Para Alisin ang Pork sa Budget

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On the Independent Commission for Infrastructure

The expanded coverage of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to include all infrastructure projects and not just flood control projects is a most welcome development.

In like manner, I hope the scope of the sumbongsapangulo.ph website will likewise be expanded by not limiting its coverage to flood control projects only.

Better yet, the website can be made more valuable to taxpayers by including data on funding for all infrastructure projects of all agencies, from the National Expenditure Program to the General Appropriations Act, as well as the identities of the proponents of congressional amendments or insertions and all the way to the project implementation and completion. And yes, complete with geotagging, please.

This will maximize transparency every step of the way, not to mention public participation in monitoring where and how our taxes are being spent.

Meanwhile, there are bills filed in both Houses of Congress that will institutionalize the ICI, complete with all the powers in the mold of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) of Singapore.

It is long in coming.

*****

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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

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Ping Lacson: Close Scrutiny of Budget Key to Infrastructure in Provinces

LUCENA, Quezon – A constant and close scrutiny of the national budget is key to addressing infrastructure and traffic challenges in the provinces, independent senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed Friday afternoon.

Lacson, who placed second in the 2016 senatorial elections in this province, said this will help ensure that infrastructure projects, both big-ticket and locally-funded, will not be prone to substandard materials due to corruption.

“This is our problem. We do not lack the wherewithal or the budget to improve or build new infrastructure projects, but the challenge is that the funds are lost to corruption,” he said in Filipino at the press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate here.

Related: Ping Lacson: Mahigpit na Pagbantay sa Budget, Susi sa Paggawa ng Infrastructure sa Probinsya

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