Corruption, lack of experts blamed for poor roads
By DHOBIE DE GUZMAN, ABS-CBN News Baguio | 02/19/2009 3:38 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
BAGUIO CITY - The chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority said rampant corruption and insufficiency of experts lead to the poor quality of roads in the country.
In a press conference, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said institutions that are supposed to guard against irregular government projects are not organized and are not functioning well.
"Yes, [corruption] happens. We have a lack of technical competence to deal with infrastructure projects. The system structure (government projects) is OK but institutions tasked to prevent anomalies in government projects are not working well," he told reporters.
"The checks and balance should work. The end result of corruption plus lack of technical competence is poor roads."
The Senate is currently investigating the World Bank's blacklisting of several Filipino and Chinese companies due to alleged corruption and collusion in biddings of WB-funded road projects.
The World Bank said there was collusion in the awarding of contract for Phase 1 of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program, known as NRIMP 1 that it had financed with $138 million. It blacklisted three Philippine and four Chinese construction firms that allegedly colluded in the bidding on the NRMIP 1 contract. The three Philippine firms are E.C. Luna Construction Corp., Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction Inc.
