EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the country is “stable” despite the alleged involvement of officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), lawmakers, and contractors in anomalous flood control projects.
“Very, very stable because … that’s just internal dynamics. That’s normal to us. There were eras or periods in our history that there were more, supposedly perceived to be destabilizing. I don’t see any threats,” Bersamin said in mixed English and Filipino during a chance interview at the Senate on Tuesday after attending the budget briefing of the Office of the President.
Like all Filipinos, Bersamin said, he, too is dismayed over reports that lawmakers, public works officials, and contractors have allegedly conspired to plunder the government coffers.
As to the actual involvement of those identified in the flood control mess, he said the respective houses of Congress will “evaluate what they have been receiving from their resource persons.”
Bersamin also said the independent commission being created by Malacañang will act soonest once its members will be named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The composition and powers of the commission is expected to be announced today.
At the House, a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Leila de Lima (PL, Mamamayang Liberal) filed a measure seeking the creation of an independent commission that will investigate the misuse of funds for flood control and other infrastructure projects.
De Lima filed House Bill (HB) No. 4435 or the proposed “Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption Act” on September 9 along with Liberal Party (LP) members Reps. Edgar Erice (Caloocan City); Adrian Michael Amatong (Zamboanga del Norte); Arlene Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands); Jaime Fresnedi (Muntinlupa City); Cielo Krisel Lagman (Albay); and Alfonso Umali Jr. (Oriental Mindoro); and Akbayan party-list Reps. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno; Percival Cendaña and Dadah Kiram Ismula; Rep. Elijah San Fernando (PL, Kamanggagawa); and Rep. Paolo Henry M. Marcoleta (PL, Sagip).
“We believe that an Independent Commission established by law would have more teeth than just a panel to be created by the President. Through this independent and broad-based body with vast investigative and subpoena powers, we will ferret out the whole truth and exact full accountability that the Filipinos deserve,” De Lima said.
Under HB No. 4435, the independent commission shall be created with full authority and subpoena powers. It will be mandated to “recommend prosecution and file administrative and criminal cases against erring public officials and employees, as well as private individuals and entities, and to propose necessary reforms in our laws, regulations and government policies–such as those concerning procurement, auditing, and project monitoring mechanisms–to prevent recurrence of corruption in government infrastructure projects.”
To guarantee its credibility and independence, the proposed independent body shall be led by a retired Supreme Court Chief Justice and composed of “impartial individuals with unquestionable integrity.”
The Commission shall be composed of the following: a retired justice of the Supreme Court; a certified public accountant with expertise in forensic accounting or auditing; an industry leader, preferably an engineer; a respected academician with background on either public finance, economics or urban and regional development planning; and a prominent representative from the business sector or civil society.
DONATION
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to send today a show cause order to Lawrence Lubiano, President of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., for him to explain his campaign donations to Sen. Francis Escudero during the May 2022 polls.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said it is part of the poll body’s probe on prohibited campaign donations made in the 2022 elections.
He noted Lubiano “admitted in the House of Representatives hearing that he gave P30 million to Senator Escudero.”
“We want to get his side and explanation through a formal inquiry,” he said.
Garcia said next in their list would be Escudero, who had also admitted to having received campaign donation from Lubiano.
As for other potentially prohibited campaign contributors, Garcia said they have already asked the DPWH to identify those that had government contracts in the May 2022 polls.
He said the Comelec has sent a list of 52 contractors to the DPWH and is awaiting for a response.
Comelec has said 43 initially identified contractors contributed to seven national candidates and 15 political parties and party-list organizations.
Nine others were identified through their contributions to local candidates — two candidates for governor, and another two for vice governor.
“One is from Mindanao, one from Region IV. These are for governor. I don’t remember the areas for vice governor. Again, we don’t consider whether they won or lost. We just checked the posts they ran for,” Garcia said. – With Wendell Vigilia and Gerard Naval
