JICA agrees with DPWH to stop 'midnight deals'
MANILA, Philippines - Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson has ordered a stop to the implementation of "midnight deals" entered into by the previous administration for the construction of infrastructure projects funded by a P3.5 billion loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In an interview, Singson said the projects consist mostly of flood mitigation projects supposedly for Ondoy- and Pepeng-affected areas.
In a document, 19 projects were enumerated by the previous administration. But the biggest surprise that hit the DPWH Secretary was the date when the contract was signed. The contract was entered by government on June 18, 12 days before the inauguration of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, and the SARO (Statement of Allocation Release Order) was signed on June 25, 5 days before the termination of the previous administration.
By procedure, SAROs should come first before any contract can be signed.
The biggest allocation was P228.7 million for the town of San Manuel in Pangasinan, which was badly hit in 2009 when San Roque Dam released large volumes of water brought by Ondoy and Pepeng.
But the province of Pampanga, which was not hit by Ondoy and Pepeng, got almost P200 million, even if it did not suffer heavy damage from the previous typhoons.
Singson shook his head and chuckled while going through the documents.
"Kung kaya naman palang iklian yung proseso, bakit ang tagal pag bidding," said Singson.
Singson said that the contracts were obviously negotiated.
JICA, DPWH agree to stop project
Singson had a meeting on Wednesday morning with officials of JICA, and inquired which among DPWH and JICA pushed for the expeditious signing of the contract.
"Sabi nila sa akin, it was the [Arroyo] government, and they're okay with it na i-stop muna yung project," said Singson.
A rebidding was ordered by Singson for the projects.
An investigation was also ordered against those involved in the crafting of the contract.
DPWH Undersecretary Jaime Pacanan heads the investigating group. He is expected to submit a report once the people who were given "show cause memos" reply.
Looking at the system
The new DPWH Secretary is also focusing his target, not only on leakage in processing and handling public works projects but also on identification of projects.
Singson noted the part of President Aquino's State of the Nation Address, where several projects, not included in the priorities, were approved instead and given higher funding instead of the original request.
"Ngayon magbibigay na lang kami ng priority menu ng mga projects na pwedeng ipagawa," said Singson.
Singson's move and pronouncements can be considered daring, considering the notorious image of the DPWH as the third most corrupt agency of government.
However, the new secretary said he is not afraid. "That's part of my job. Di pwedeng scared of the issue."
ABS-CBN News tried to get the side of former DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo, but a former aide said he is in America seeking medical treatment.
I commend DPWH Sec.Singson
I commend DPWH Sec.Singson for exposing the anomalies of past Makapalarroyo administration... and for doing the immediate necessary action.
on the other hand, I would also like to hear from Bureau of Customs Comm. Lito Alvarez. Pinangako niya nung nag-guest siya sa ANC na every week ay mayroon siyang papangalanan na mga illegal smugglers... sana di mauwi sa wala..
Buting nga at nakita pa ito
Buting nga at nakita pa ito ni Sec.Singson kunh hindi ay malaking pera na naman ang mawawala dahil sa mga midnight deals.Nakakasuklam talaga ang Arroyo government.puro mga walang hiya and konsensya.
punta kayo SOUTH COTABATO
punta kayo SOUTH COTABATO dami GHOOST PROJECT dito... hehehe party time always sa mga HEAD ng District kasi kapal palagi laman bulsa nila. secretary try mo investigate dito and hanapin mo yong mga special projects ng DPWH, you'll find out na wla kang makikita kasi ang budget sa bulsa na nila nagtago...
REVAMP THOSE INEPT CORRUPT DISTRICT ENGRS.
We have one district engr. here at District 1 Mis. Occ.who's a relative of former cong. Ernie Clarete. He's the "bag-man" of the former solon.
Praying for Sec. Singson to act on this if he is dead serious in cleaning up the bureaucracy of corrupt officials.
Thank you in advance Sec. Singson.
TO MUCH CORRUPTION IN ARROYO GOV'T.
Nakita niyo na grabe talaga ang corruption sa gobyerno ni Gloria, kanya kanya hatak at bulsa ng pera. Eh paano, yung pinaka puno ( Pangulong ARROYO ) ay super corrupt, what do you expect from the sobordinates. Pati anak at asawa ni Gloria, sangkot sa corruption. Ang masama pa niyan, alam na ng buong bayan na corruption ng ARROYO gov't., but they still have no remorse. Gusto nila ebidensya. Yan ang sinasabi nating walang mga konsensyang tao. They are garbage. They acted with impunity and dicernment, yet they have no regrets at all. I hope they would be punished accordingly, if not here on earth, perhaps life after death. I always believe that there is justice, sooner or later.
coa to blame for rampant corruption
COA is largely to blame for the impunity by which corruption is prevalent is almost all government agencies. if ony the auditors assigned in these agencies are doing their jobs, the crocodiles and vultures in these agencies could not prey on the government coffers., it is only when an auditor make himself privy to the loot when a fraud is committed. it is about time our adutiors perform their jobs to protect the meager resources we now have. .sack them Chairman Villar to those who will not toe the line.
Same Old Story
We shouldn’t be surprised of such corruption in government dealings. This is a very old system of corruption that still exists in all government level—municipal, city, provincial and national. Infrastructure projects is the main “source of income” of elected officials and the people in respective government agencies or offices (e.g. Budget, Treasurers, Municipal/ City/Provincial/District Engineers, COA, etc). Government officials involved in appropriating the budget, bidding and awarding the projects, executing and closing (paying the contractor) are benefitting from such system of corruption. Let us accept the reality that those people that ran in the last (and previous) election supposedly to serve the Filipino people have their own vested interests –to get rich or protect their businesses, if they have. At least majority of them. Based from previous government administrations, as far as I can recall, not one really tried to stop this “cancer of corruption” in Government infrastructure projects. Maybe some did but they were “eaten” by the system. This newly installed government is doing the same as previously administrations by creating various commissions that investigates and recommends changes. I’m not saying it is wrong but what has been happening is that people are just being replaced but the system of corruption continues. There are always improvements that happenned though but sad to say it is getting better on the wrong side. The process of how these anomalies are being done is getting better. Government agencies involved are making it hard to trace collusions by making necessary documents and requirements somehow satisfies all legal and procedural requirements (advertising the bids on time to unknown publications, filter out interested bidders to make sure that only bidders that will “cooperate” are involved, getting agreements among bidders that specific project will go to Contractor A and next project will go to B, bid amount already fixed even before bidding, etc).
Unfortunately, I can provide comments as long as I can but I really don’t know how to fix this too. One thing that this government can do, if some of them is really serious to start cleaning-up government corruption, is to put the right people in COA. If at least one government agency will be a truly guardian of people’s interests then that will be a good start. There will be challenges in making COA to really do what it should but the way I see it, this is the only government agency common in all level of government agencies involved in the process of infrastructure projects implementation.
corruption
Totoo yung sinabi mo kabayan, kahit saang sulok ng pinas at pinaka liit-liitan na lugar nandoon talaga ang corruption, thus Engineers who works in DPWH who accepting money or asking money for favors to be persecuted, its very rampant in DPWH and other government agencies also. nakakahiya ang mga taong ito naka pondar ng magandang sasakyan, bahay, napag aral ang mga anak sa mga mamahaling eskwelahan.