MANILA – Lawmakers crossed party lines to express alarm over disclosures by the World Bank (WB) regarding corruption, which allegedly involves mainly rigging of international bidding on Philippine road projects funded by the WB.
Administration Congressman Roger Mercado of Leyte province in the Visayas said he would convene the Committee on Public Works of the House of Representatives, which he chairs, to investigate the alleged anomalies when Congress resumes session on January 27.
Congressman Neptali Gonzales 2nd of suburban Mandaluyong City in Metro Manila, another administration supporter, urged the government to go after the corrupt officials allegedly involved by having them investigated by the office of the Ombudsman.
In a report from its headquarters in Washington D.C., the WB announced the suspension of the release of $33 million for road projects in the country after discovering that a “cartel” of seven construction companies – three from the Philippines and four from China – had rigged previous bidding.
As a result, the WB said it banned the seven companies from further participation in biddings for infrastructure projects it is funding in the country, like phase 2 of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP) worth about $232 million.
The WB revelation followed the demand of the US government agency, Millenium Challenge Corporation, that the Arroyo administration should exert more efforts to fight corruption before the country can qualify for a larger amount of aid.
Malacanang, through Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. of the Department of Budget and Management, assured the government is now working with donor institutions to harmonize rules on the bidding and implementation of projects funded under the so-called official development assistance.
Andaya explained that once the rules and made uniform and simpler, there would be less confusion that corrupt officials could exploit.
The road projects questioned by the WB were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, which is widely perceived to be one of the most corrupt and graft-ridden government agencies along with the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
But to opposition Senator Mar Roxas 2nd, the Andaya assurance is not enough as he accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of bringing international shame to the country for her alleged deliberate disregard of corruption under her watch.
“This is really embarrassing,” Roxas pointed out in reaction to the WB expose. “This administration should be ashamed of itself.”
He said the President should now stop her political manipulations to extend her term beyond 2010 through the controversial issue of Charter change (Cha-cha) and instead begin to clamp down on corrupt officials in government.
For her part, Senator Pia Cayetano urged the World Bank to reveal more about the alleged cartel, especially on how it operates, including its alleged connections in government.
Cayetano stressed the cartel could not possibly corner contracts for big foreign-funded government projects without receiving help from ranking public officials.
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