Magalong hints at Marcos’ plan of crackdown on infra projects
BAGUIO CITY—President Marcos may be inclined to form an independent commission to investigate anomalies in public works projects, which he and several whistleblowers have linked to entrenched corruption involving government employees and elected officials, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said on Monday.
On Sunday in Tuba, Benguet, Magalong spoke with the President as the Chief Executive inspected what he described as substandard slope protection structures along the 120-year-old Kennon Road.
Magalong said his impression from that exchange was that Marcos was considering a “thorough, nonpartisan probe” of government infrastructure programs, citing evidence that some multimillion-peso projects—such as flood control—were padded with excessive costs to generate kickbacks for influential officials and government employees.
Last week, Magalong had proposed deputizing retired justices and police officers to review documents, visit project sites, interview potential witnesses and uncover graft in the government’s procurement system.
Strategy
“Siguro ang Presidente gagawa rin ng investigating team… sa nakikita ko sa presidente nang mag-usap kami (I think the President is forming an investigating team based on what I sensed when we talked). I believe it’s part of his plan… siguro may sarili lang siyang strategy (so maybe he just has his own strategy),” said Magalong, who previously led fact-finding teams as a police general.
Magalong has long pushed for a third-party probe, voicing skepticism over the House of Representatives’ inquiry into flood control projects, which he criticized given that some implicated officials are lawmakers.
He said documents and detailed complaints received by him and the Mayors for Good Governance movement had already been forwarded to the President. “[Mr. Marcos] did not require me to make a presentation. It was our initiative,” Magalong told the Inquirer on the sidelines of a public consultation on Monday.
Facing House
Magalong has recently come under fire from lawmakers demanding an apology for his sweeping remarks about corrupt politicians.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. last week blasted Magalong for refusing to apologize, challenging him instead to testify before a House inquiry and “present concrete evidence [so] then together we can hold the wrongdoers accountable,” instead of airing his case through the media.
“Results beat rhetoric every time. If Mayor Magalong refuses to face the [House tri-committee that convened to investigate flood control projects] with evidence, then he is nothing more than an empty can: maingay pero walang laman (just empty noises),” Abante said.
Magalong said that he has always expressed his willingness to appear before Congress.
“But where are the invitations?” he asked.
“Lagi kong sinasabi na willing ako humarap sa Congress pero nasaan iyong invitation—nasaan notice? Wala naman ako natatanggap (I always say I am willing to face Congress, but where is the invitation, where is the notice? I have yet to receive any),” he told the Inquirer.
