SENATOR Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson last Wednesday, August 20, detailed a “corruptionary” of terms used in corrupt practices, citing schemes that have siphoned off at least half of the P1.9 trillion allocated for flood control projects over the past 15 years.
In a privilege speech, Lacson introduced several terms he said were compiled during his investigation into anomalies within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“In the course of our research and investigation, we encountered several words — their meanings, we could not find in the dictionary. So we looked somewhere else. Alas! We found them — in the ‘corruptionary,’” he said.
The first term, “distinct,” refers to multiple budget items in the General Appropriations Act that have the same contract cost.
According to Lacson’s sources within the DPWH and some contractors, this is a “coded budget” that identifies who “owns” a project.
“Para sa nakakaunawa, ang ibig sabihin po ay, — ‘akin yan,’” he said.
Lacson cited instances in the Bulacan first engineering district, where several riverbank protection projects shared the same contract price of P77.199 million and turned out to be “ghost projects.”
The second term, “reseta,” refers to the 2 to 3% kickback for the District Engineering Office.
This amount is considered the “excess” from a contractor’s profit. Lacson said it is called “reseta” because the amount dictated by the engineering office is like a doctor’s prescription that the contractor must “just swallow.”
“Parang gamot - lulunukin na lang ng contractor,” he said.
A third term, “passing through/parking fee,” refers to a 5 to 6% “royalty” paid to politicians who control the district where a project is implemented.
The fourth term, “funders,” is used for politicians who are project proponents and receive 20 to 25% of the project cost.
Lacson said a typical flood control project includes a breakdown of costs that leaves little for the project itself, with significant percentages allocated as kickbacks:
⬣ 8-10% for DPWH officials
⬣ 2-3% for the District Engineering Office
⬣ 5-6% for members of the Bids and Awards Committee
⬣ 0.5-1% for the Commission on Audit
⬣ 5-6% for “passing through/parking fee” for politicians
⬣ 20-25% for the “funder”
In his speech, Lacson reiterated his call for “greed control” and insisted that legislators who propose budget insertions be identified and held accountable.
“The depth of corruption has become so overwhelming that it drowns us in our sad state: More than flood control, what the Filipino people badly need to see is greed control,” he said. (PR)
