WB briefing: Ombudsman informed of bid rigging as early as 2006

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman knew of the alleged anomalies in the National Roads Improvement and Management Program Phase 1 (NRIMP-1) as early as three years ago, the World Bank told the Senate in a technical briefing Tuesday. Based on the presentation of the World Bank on its investigative processes, the INT (World Bank’s Integrity department) conducted an oral briefing with the Office of the Ombudsman in May 2006. A copy of the presentation was distributed to the media after the technical briefing to the senators, held behind closed doors, ended. The 2006 briefing was about the INT’s interim findings on the NRIMP 1 investigation. Six months later, the INT closed its investigation and issued the referral report to the Department of Finance and Office of the Ombudsman and even offered further assistance if requested. The NRIMP 1 investigation and sanctions timeline also stated that in January 2008, the INT investigators met with the Office of the Ombudsman to further discuss the case and offered additional assistance. It also said that the World Bank provided additional documentary evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman and offered further assistance, including offer from the vice president of INT to meet personally with the anti-graft body. In earlier interviews, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said that her office has started its investigation on the alleged collusion in the road projects funded by World Bank but they cannot make a conclusion as the documents in their hands were incomplete. But after the technical briefing, Gutierrez told reporters that her office would be releasing the result of the investigation on the World Bank report first week of March this year. Earlier, opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson said Bank executives hinted they may stop lending to the Philippines if Philippine authorities do not act on its report on alleged bribery and collusion in its projects. Lacson, who attended a briefing on WB procedures at the Senate, said stopping the lending was one of the “options" available to the institution. "That was very vivid in my mind when it was mentioned. It was mentioned nonchalantly, hindi talaga diniin, pero sa tingin ko it was good enough para iparating sa atin ang mensahe na do something about this WB report na pinadala sa atin. Kung hindi, they may exercise their option not to lend the Philippines anymore," he told reporters. [That was very vivid in my mind when it was mentioned, even if nonchalantly. The message was that we have to do something about the report they gave us. If not, they can exercise that option not to lend to us anymore.] - GMANews.TV