Palace: Andaya should stop lawyering for DPWH contractors

MANILA, Philippines – Camarines Sur 1st District Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. should not lawyer for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractors whom he alleged were not paid over P100 billion in 2018 by the government, Malacañang said on Monday.

“Congressman Andaya cannot be lawyering to these contractors,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“If the contractors have something to complain, they should themselves file the complaint and address their concerns to the respective department or the Department of Public Works,” he added.

Panelo issued the reaction after Andaya recently claimed that the government failed to pay private companies more than P100 billion due to a “corrupt system.”

READ: Gov’t failed to pay DPWH contractors P100B–Andaya  

Andaya said the government’s failure to pay could drive away possible contractors

and derail the administration’s Build, Build, Build program.

“Kung hindi sila nababayaran, siguro incomplete yung ginawa nila. Kasi the government will not pay you unless completed ang project mo. At you prove na talagang kumpleto,” Panelo said.

(If they have not been paid, maybe they have yet to complete the projects.  The government will not pay you unless you have completed your project. )

“Kasi the government will not pay you unless completed ang project mo. At you prove na talagang kumpleto,” he added.

(The government will not pay you unless you’ve completed your project.  And you have to prove that it is indeed completed.)

In a statement responding to Andaya’s claim, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said, “We are not aware as to how the P100 billion in (accounts payable) have been arrived at since books of accounts have not yet been closed.”  / gsg