WHAT IS becoming apparent in recent days is that local governments are generally left in the dark in the allocation of funds and implementation of projects that come from the national government and funneled directly to the district engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The emerging shape, however, is that of legislators, whether congressmen or senators, inserting funds for their pet projects, starting from the President’s National Expenditure Program to the General Appropriations Bill, up until the House and Senate versions are reconciled by a committee from each chamber.
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The bicameral conference is not even the end of it. For convenience, the remaining unreconciled items are discussed further by a “small” group composed of the Speaker and the chairperson of the House committee on appropriations on the one hand, and the Senate President and the chairperson of the Senate committee on finance on the other hand.
For 2025, Speaker Martin Romualdez said he delegated the small-group task entirely to Cong. Rizaldy Co – now apparently on the run and nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, video footages of erstwhile Senate President Chiz have been circulated where he was seen in the premises of Congress appearing to be showing a keen interest in the outcome of the group discussions.
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And that is not the end of the trail. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has hinted at “unprogrammed funds” being in actuality a species of pork barrel that can move at the baton of the Department of Budget and Management.
In contrast to programmed funds that are supported by anticipated revenue sources, these funds become available when government can source additional revenue.
Today’s Blue Ribbon committee hearing will potentially uncover the infusion of unprogrammed funds into Bulacan flood control projects purportedly upon the initiative of Sen. Joel Villanueva.
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Assuming that the 25% to 30% kickback as alleged by Engr. Brice Hernandez is true, there has to be an unwritten conspiracy between the “funder” or the legislator and the district engineer who will implement the insertion.
To require hard evidence of this conspiracy would be like asking for the moon. Conspirators are not expected to document an illegal arrangement or relationship.
But there is overwhelming evidence of the fruitful result of this relationship – a profligate lifestyle that cannot be financed by legitimate means in fifty lifetimes.
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It is the district engineer and the district engineering office that he commands who has to do the dirty work of getting around the procurement act.
The DE has to authorize the various modes of bid rigging like “bid rotation” where conspiring contractors take turns being the lowest bidder – a cycle that is repeated several times so each contractor gets an infrastructure contract over time.
This pattern may be established by a dogged Independent Commission on Infrastructure. The reason why Chairman Andres Reyes has to condemn “widespread destruction and official documents” by DPWH personnel. Those caught destroying evidence will be held to account for obstruction of justice./PN
