House still holding ‘flood’ probe, may put members on the spot
Facing the possibility of putting some of its own members in the hot seat, the House of Representatives has formally authorized three committees to look into flood control projects tainted with anomalies.
The House plenary on Wednesday night adopted by voice vote Resolution No. 145, tasking an “infracomm” to scrutinize the projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), especially those allegedly involving politicians who received kickbacks, gamed the public biddings or covertly controlled the very companies that bagged the multimillion-peso government contracts.
It pushed through with the probe despite earlier reservations expressed by some House members who see conflict of interest in a body potentially uncovering the dealings of its own members and performing a task better left to the judiciary or executive branch.
The joint panel will be composed of the committees on public accounts, on public works and highways, and on good government and accountability.
The resolution, authored by public accounts committee chair and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, said the probe would focus on “ghost projects, bloated contracts, chronic underspending and abuse of discretion in the realignment of funds and procurement.”
It is also “essential to determine whether rackets, kickbacks or ‘SOPs for the boys’ (or bribes) are occurring at any level of government,” it added.
‘The right to respond’
Ridon said the inquiry would likely start within the next two weeks and, pending consultations with committee members, first take up the substandard or “ghost’’ projects recently inspected by President Marcos in Bulacan province.
The House investigation would run alongside that initiated earlier this week by the Senate blue ribbon committee. The Commission on Audit is also conducting its own “fraud audit” particularly of the projects in Bulacan.
Ridon said that “in the event that the tricommittee gets to a point where there is a legislator named, we will still afford him the right to respond in the committee.”
“But then afterwards we could recuse ourselves and endorse the matter to such a third body, once it is constituted,” he said.
Lacson revelations
The chamber approved the inquiry hours after Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in a privilege speech, reported on the investigation conducted by his office showing that only about 40 percent of the funds allocated for flood control projects go into the actual construction while the rest are lost to various corruption schemes.
Lacson’s speech mentioned several projects in Naujan town within the district of Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan, where the contractor was Sunwest Inc., a company co-founded by AKO Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.
During plenary debates on Wednesday, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima opposed the adoption of the resolution, citing conflict of interest.
Still best venue
“In short, the House itself [is] investigating this issue when there have been so many reports, when there have been so many speculations about the possible involvement of certain members of the House. This would not sit well with the public,” De Lima said.
On Thursday, Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano defended the House decision, saying the infracomm was still the best venue to take up the allegations, particularly on the so-called “percentage” received by politicians for every implemented project.
Should the names of incumbent House members crop up in the course of the hearings, these lawmakers must be allowed to air their side during the inquiry.
If they happen to be members of the three committees conducting the joint probe, they must “recuse” themselves, Valeriano added.
“I’m not saying it’s not true, but at least we can somehow find out if what they’re saying is true. Even the congressman named probably has time during the investigation to clear his name or if he’s really involved,” he said.
