President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday directed contractors behind ghost and substandard infrastructure projects to complete them properly at their own expense, stressing that they must honor the warranties in their government contracts while investigations into irregularities proceed.
Speaking at a press conference in Malacañang, the President said contractors cannot escape accountability and will still be required to finish projects to acceptable standards even if cases are filed against them.
“One of the things that we are looking at, dahil iniisip ko kakasuhan natin sila. The cases will go on, may mga mananagot, mayroon diyang makukulong, mayroon diyan mapa-fire. Para sa akin, kailangan buuin nila iyong project dahil kung titingnan ninyo, may warranty lahat iyang project na iyan,” Marcos said.
He stressed that contractors must shoulder the cost of correcting defective or incomplete projects: “Kahit sinabi nilang completed, kapag nadiskubre na hindi tama ang pagkagawa, they still have to honor the warranty that they have given us to complete the project properly. So we can still go back to them at sasabihin natin sa kanila, ‘Balikan ninyo iyong walang kuwentang project na ginawa ninyo at ayusin ninyo na maganda, out of your own pocket.’”
To lead the probe into flood control corruption over the past decade, the President appointed retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres B. Reyes Jr. as chairperson of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The two other members are former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV and Co. Country Managing Partner Rossana Fajardo, with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong serving as Special Adviser.
Marcos reiterated that the ICI will work swiftly to identify those who stole public funds intended for flood control and other infrastructure projects. “It’s simple numbers dito, simple lang ito. Magkano ang ninakaw na pera ng mga balasubas na ito? That is what we need to know, that is what we need to fix,” he said.
With reports from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
