Corrupt tribe in DPWH did not decrease

Dear Editor,

This respectfully concerns your front page story “Banned contractors bag DPWH contracts” in the Dec. 9, 2019 issue of TheManilaTimes.

Honestly, anti-corruption advocates are so happy with this exposé and I am one of them. Please allow me to add more facts on the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) findings.

I commiserate with PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna in his exposé because that is absolutely true! Please allow me to ADD more facts on this issue.

Republic Act 9184, Section 34.3 states; “... if any of these on-going contracts shows a reported negative slippage of at least fifteen percent (15%), or substandard quality of work as per contract plans and specifications, or unsatisfactory performance of the contractor’s

obligations as per contract terms and conditions, at the time of inspection, and if the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) verifies any of these deficiencies to be due to the contractor’s fault or negligence, the agency shall disqualify the contractor from the award), for the procurement of infrastructure projects; iii)…” (underlining, superimposed supplied)

In the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Cordillera Administrative Region and some of its District Offices, they absolutely and irrefutably violate the above law. They allow bad-performing contractors (absolutely substandard accomplishments and finished contract way beyond the contract time) and contractors that had more than 15 percent negative slippages in the performance of their projects to bid and be awarded new projects. Honestly, there are numerous notarized, verified and backed by evidences filed against the DPWH on this matter at the Office of the Ombudsman, copy furnished the PACC and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar but, sad to say, they seem to be deaf, mute and blind on this blatant violation of the law? Worse, this cycle of bad accomplishments and long-delayed completion of projects continues because these bad-performing contractors were awarded new contracts. These are the pampered and blessed contractors.

Hence, our belief in the sincerity of this administration is slowly eroding. As far as I can remember, only one lady district engineer of the DPWH-Ifugao, who was sacked after her demand for P10-million grease money from a contractor was recorded. Honestly, corruption is worst today in the DPWH because its top guns are deaf mute and blind. I remember the days of DPWH Secretaries Simeon Datumanong and Hermogenes Ebdane wherein numerous, meaning many corrupt DPWH officials, were either suspended or removed. Seemingly, their tribe did not increase!

Very respectfully yours,