CHECK THIS ONE OUT Are these metal reinforcements sufficient? Is the concrete combine as much as the usual? With all eyes nowon the large corruption behind flood management tasks—each the actual and “ghost” varieties—the sight of 1 challenge underneath development is sufficient to give pause. Like right here alongside the banks of Angat River at Barangay Sipat, Plaridel, Bulacan. Picture taken on Saturday. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — Extra distinguished voices have joined the rising clamor for an impartial investigation of anomalous flood management tasks that may consequence within the prosecution of these behind them.
This time, a coalition of civic, church, scientific and enterprise teams got here collectively to name for sweeping reforms to “make corruption shameful once more” amid President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s ongoing crackdown.
“We have now had sufficient,” they stated in a joint assertion printed Saturday. “We have to escape this vicious cycle. We should reject the system of corruption that kills our fellow Filipinos and erodes our confidence in authorities.”
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The assertion was signed by over 150 people and teams, together with Caloocan Bishop Pablo David, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, the Built-in Bar of the Philippines, Makati Enterprise Membership, and several other different universities, celebration listing teams and civil society watchdogs.
5 calls for
They be a part of different influential teams who earlier made an analogous name, together with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and a collective of 30 enterprise teams that included the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Business, Monetary Executives Institute of the Philippines, and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.
Among the many group’s 5 calls for is for investigation and enforcement our bodies to probe and file circumstances in opposition to everybody—each authorities and personal events—liable for flagged tasks.
They expressed fears that ongoing inquiries by the Senate and the Home of Representatives would solely result in mere “witch-hunts of ‘small fish’ or ‘mid-level managers’ that find yourself sustaining programs of corruption,” with “only a few ‘huge fish’ and ‘masterminds’ convicted.”
“There should be individuals who can be held accountable,” the signatories stated. “We name on the proposed impartial fee and investigation and enforcement our bodies to analyze and file circumstances not simply in opposition to contractors and the [Department of Public Works and Highways], however legislators and auditors who had been accountable for these flood management tasks,” they stated.
In addition they urged the Bureau of Inside Income (BIR) and the Anti-Cash Laundering Council (AMLC) to analyze the tax information of the High 15 contractors of flood management tasks underneath the Marcos administration and all suspicious monetary transactions linked to them.
They added that the Fee on Elections (Comelec) should examine politicians who obtained marketing campaign contributions from contractors and for the Fee on Audit to increase its fraud audit past Bulacan province, the place a lot of the alleged ghost tasks seem like positioned.
Impartial ombudsman
Comelec Chair George Garcia beforehand stated three of the 15 contractors named by Marcos donated to the campaigns of nationwide candidates within the 2022 elections.
Up to now, solely Senate President Francis Escudero has publicly admitted that he obtained P30 million for his senatorial marketing campaign in 2022 from Lawrence Lubiano, president of prime Sorsogon contractor Centerways Building.
The group additionally challenged Marcos to nominate a really impartial ombudsman that may “fearlessly file circumstances, and elevate the secrecy” on politicians’ statements of belongings, liabilities and internet price (SALN), which had been saved from the general public by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
The signatories—a few of whom are at present accredited as observers for the 2025 price range deliberations—additionally demanded extra transparency measures to assist crack down on corruption.
Impartial overview
They urged the DPWH and the Securities and Alternate Fee to make sure paperwork free to the general public: this system of works, invoice of portions, detailed unit worth evaluation, in addition to the final info sheets and articles of incorporation for contractors.
The group additionally known as on the DPWH and the Division of Finances and Administration to convene an impartial overview of all present tasks and resubmit proposals, noting that they’d “little or no confidence that the DPWH’s proposed price range for flood management is backed by correct science” or that tasks had been correctly coordinated with native governments.
Marcos has earlier ordered a “sweeping overview” of the DPWH’s P881.7-billion proposed 2026 price range.
“These should be primarily based not on antiquated flood management rules with near-exclusive give attention to cement, however as an alternative emphasize flood administration rules and nature-based options, equivalent to reforestation and watershed restoration,” they stated.
Lastly, the group demanded that an impartial fee investigating the anomalies be composed of members of “unimpeachable competence and integrity” like flood administration scientists and hydrologists, area people teams and other people’s organizations most affected by flood dangers and the local weather disaster.
‘Shameful’
“We should make corruption shameful once more. We should punish corruption once more. We should all work collectively to root out this method of corruption that kills,” they stated.
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“We should exchange it with a system of transparency, accountability, and other people’s participation that empowers us to demand higher and to make sure this by no means occurs once more,” they added. /cb
