PCAB exec resigns amid ‘registration for sale’ rap
The executive director of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), lawyer Herbert Matienzo, has resigned for “personal reasons” amid allegations that the board was involved in accrediting construction companies in exchange for money.
In a Viber message to the Inquirer on Thursday, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, who has direct authority over PCAB, said Matienzo submitted his resignation on Wednesday.
Roque said she had appointed an officer in charge executive director.
PCAB is one of the implementing boards of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, which is under the Department of Trade and Industry. It issues licenses to companies that bid for infrastructure projects.
At a House infrastructure committee hearing on Tuesday, Deputy Speaker Jefferson Khonghun called for a lifestyle check on Matienzo amid allegations of “registration for sale,” or the accreditation of government project contractors for a price.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was the first to make this allegation during a Senate plenary discussion last week. He said companies pay at least P2 million for certificates of accreditation and other registration documents.
At a Palace briefing on Monday, newly installed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon announced that President Marcos had ordered a “sweeping revamp” of PCAB.
Revoked Discaya licenses
On the same day, PCAB approved Board Resolution No. 075, revoking the contractors’ licenses of nine companies owned or controlled by businesswoman and defeated Pasig City mayoral candidate Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya.
Discaya is in hot water for alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
PCAB said it has revoked the licenses of the following Discaya companies:
- St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corp.
- Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- St. Timothy Construction Corp.
- Amethyst Horizon Builders And Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corp.
- St. Matthew General Contractor & Development Corp.
- Great Pacific Builders And General Contractor, Inc.
- YPR General Contractor And Construction Supply, Inc.
- Waymaker OPC
- Elite General Contractor And Development Corp.
- Conflict of interest
In a statement last Saturday, Lacson said there were possible conflicts of interests involving two of the three members of PCAB and called for an investigation.
He said that EGB Construction Corp., owned by engineer Erni Baggao, and AN Escalante Construction Inc., owned by Arthur Escalante, won government projects while they served on PCAB.
Mr. Marcos earlier disclosed that EGB Construction Corp. was one of the 15 contractors that bagged 18 percent, or P100 billion, of the P545-billion flood control projects in the country from 2022 to 2025.
Lacson said AN Escalante won at least one contract for an academic building in Mati City, Davao Oriental, worth over P9.8 million in 2022.
Escalante had told the Inquirer that he saw no potential conflict of interest as the law that created PCAB, Republic Act No. 4566, requires that board members be contractors for at least 10 years.
The same law also has no explicit provision requiring them to divest from their companies once appointed to the board.
PCAB Chair Pericles Dakay is president of Dakay Construction Corp.
Lacson believes that Escalante and Baggao have “undue advantage” over other contractors since PCAB could investigate potential rivals or suspend or revoke their licenses.
