‘…some individuals are talking to contractors promising certain projects under the 2022 General Appropriations Act in exchange for money upfront.’
THE election season is upon us and unscrupulous groups and individuals are once again having a field day trying their old but reliable money-making antics. There are many variations of illegal fund-raising scams, and the most common is solicitation of financial support for particular candidates, sometimes without the consent or authority from the supposed beneficiary.
Small-time solicitations with letters and telephone calls are rampant, but money changing hands has taken on a more sophisticated route, what with online bank transfers, e-wallets, cryptocurrency, fintech and the like. Big-time, more complicated activities, however, involve government contracts, private lobby issues, and bids and awards.
When in a presidential debate the candidates were asked which government agency they consider as the most corrupt, almost all of them named the Bureau of Customs, with Sen. Manny Pacquiao the only one with a different answer: the Department of Health. So we would not be off the mark when we say that many of these election money-making schemes happen in the BOC.
In the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) where contracts for roads, bridges and government buildings run in the millions of pesos, the situation is not the least different. We don’t know if organic employees of the DPWH are involved, but reports have filtered in to the office of Secretary Roger Mercado that some individuals are talking to contractors promising certain projects under the 2022 General Appropriations Act in exchange for money upfront. The reason given is that the money will be donated to the campaigns of certain candidates, and the prospective financiers are buying “insurance” for future business.
In the wake of these reports, Secretary Mercado issued a warning to the public on Tuesday about the “illegal peddling of DPWH projects,” saying since he assumed office last October, he has emphasized that he will not tolerate any shenanigan in the department. “This is my personal commitment to the anti-corruption policy of the Duterte administration,” he said.
Mercado has urged the public to directly report to his office (Tel. 5304-3201) “any person who uses my name, my office or the Department in soliciting money in exchange for projects or any form of transaction at the DPWH.”
The secretary’s final admonition is direct as it is terse: “Let this also serve as a warning to all officials and employees of the DPWH. I shall not spare anybody who engages in any form of corruption.”
Let us watch and see how Mercado will follow through these strong words with concrete action.
