RP should protest WB report about bid riggings – solons

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government should protest before the US government the World Bank report that implicated no less than the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the alleged rigging of bids for WB-funded road projects, lawmakers proposed Friday. Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano III said the government should “make official representations with the WB to protest the report," which, as per analysis of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, was “apparently prepared in haste." The PCIJ reported earlier that the WB report that implicated First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, local officials and private contractors, was a product of mixed innuendoes and facts, and based mostly on second, and worse, third hand accounts from rival contractors. “These allegations strike at the heart of the issues surrounding the report. How can we now claim any semblance of credibility when the investigation was undertaken apparently with very little regard for finding out the truth," Albano said. The senior administration congressman, a member of the 12-man House contingent in the powerful Commission on Appointments, also floated the “rumors that the WB report was used to justify expenses of globetrotting WB investigators." “If this is true, then the issue should also be investigated. The INT team mentioned in the PCIJ report may very well mean integrity assassination team, because it was poorly undertaken," Albano said. “These kinds of investigations should be as meticulous and extensive as possible, because what is at stake here are integrities of people, especially those in the government, and the reputation of the country as well," he added. “In this case, I think the damage has been done. What will the WB do to repair the damage done to us?" Albano asked. The in-depth PCIJ report, according to Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo, have likewise confirmed what they have been suspecting all along, that the highly-derogatory WB report is dubious and that it was full of hearsay and wild rumors that had no basis. Romualdo, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said the WB report is strongly condemnable as it contained unsubstantiated allegations and hence, those responsible must be taken to task. “The people who came out with such baseless and highly derogatory report must be held accountable for the flak our country, government officials and local contractors are getting," he said. Both Romualdo and Albano clarified, however, that the WB report should not be taken lightly or disregarded completely because it has tarnished not only the reputation of the three contractors named but also the country’s image in the international community. Accusing Filipino contractors, government officials and private individuals of being in cahoots without any hint of evidence is, to say the least, the most stinking act an anti-corruption unit such as the Department of Institutional Integrity could do. “If the PCIJ report is true, then the WB did a sloppy job in carrying out its investigation. The probers should have been more careful because this controversy has an impact on the integrity of our country in the international sphere," Romualdo said. The chairman of the House committee on public works and highways had urged the WB to apologize to local contractors whose names have been tarnished on allegations of collusion in the bidding of foreign-funded road projects. “The WB should apologize to the aggrieved parties for their irresponsible and careless actions," Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado said. “They should respect the rules and laws of the country because their actions are tantamount to interfering without validating reports that created chaos. They should assume responsibility," he said. Mercado issued the statement in reaction to a PCIJ report stating that the WB report was a mix of facts and innuendos, and that the ones interviewed for the bank probe were second and even third-hand sources. “The WB should be more circumspect and careful before making their reports public because it involves integrity and dignity of persons," he said. House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong, a former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, agreed with the PCIJ report. “Most of these (WB findings) are hearsay. These are just storytelling. I don't know how the WB values it but as far as the court of justice is concerned, these are just hearsay. Mahirap paniwalaan," the Maguindanao congressman said. Another administration lawmaker, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, echoed the same view. “I don't know the ulterior motive of WB investigators, but it would appear that they did not do the right procedure that led to the sanctioning of Filipino contractors. The least they could have done was to call the attention of the contractors," he said. Mercado said that if the PCIJ report was true, “there is no use continuing the inquiry" on the WB report. He also asked concerned government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs to “reprimand" WB for releasing the report. “The concerned government agencies like the DFA should reprimand the WB because their reports which were based on innuendos, rumors and un-validated third-hand stories are not accepted in Philippine laws," Mercado reiterated. - GMANews.TV