Ang tama ay IPAGLABAN. Ang mali ay LABANAN.
Senator Ping Lacson is now the new 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨-𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞.
Senators are not beyond suspicion in the controversy over anomalous and ghost flood control projects at this time, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said on Saturday.
Lacson noted that both his fellow senators and House members introduce insertions or amendments in the national budget bill, thus his repeated calls for transparency in the budgeting process.
“I am not saying it’s just members of the House. It is possible that some senators introduce insertions for such projects, and may even profit from the 25% share for the ‘funder’ or proponent of the insertions from the flood control project costs,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZRH radio.
“I’ll put it this way. There may be senators and House members who may be connected to anomalous flood control projects,” he said in a separate interview on DZMM, when asked if there are senators who may have ties to the questionable projects.
In Filipino: Lacson: Hindi Ligtas ang mga Senador sa Isyu ng Anomalya sa Flood Control Projects
Continue reading “Lacson: Senators Not Beyond Suspicion in Flood Control Projects Row”
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
Efforts to fight corruption and uphold transparency could be one of the keys for the Senate to recover from its low trust and performance ratings and to regain the public’s trust, anti-corruption advocate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
Lacson said the Senate’s low ratings may have stemmed from factors including public perception of “pork” insertions by some senators, as well as the handling of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“It could have been a factor, rightly or wrongly. That is the public’s perception because that is what people see or read daily. It’s a combination of so many factors, so we must be careful,” he said in Filipino in an interview on One PH.
In Filipino: Lacson: Transparency Efforts Susi ng Senado sa Pagbawi sa Mababang Trust Ratings
Continue reading “Lacson: Transparency Efforts Could be Senate’s Key to Regaining Public Trust”