P13-B infra projects messy–COA

MORE than P13.2-billion worth of infrastructure projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2014 violated the procurement law, a report of the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed.

State auditors also discovered that P34 billion in capital outlay remained “unobligated” due to the failure of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson to make use of the funds.

“The existence of unobligated allotments indicates that the DPWH-Office of the Secretary failed to maximize its authorized budgetary allocations,” the COA said in its report, urging corrective action.

Records showed that the DPWH had a total allocation of P121 billion in 2014 as stated in the General Appropriations Act which Congress had approved.

Unutilized

However, the department only received P97 billion. Of this amount, P63 billion went to various infrastructure projects nationwide while the rest was unutilized.

According to the COA, several projects of DPWH field offices did not comply with Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, and its implementing rules and regulations.

Some of the violations noted by the COA involved the splitting of contracts, failure of contractors to pay the construction bond, sudden change in designs to “cover up” structural defects, violation in the bidding process and nonsubmission of required documents.

Violations

Among the DPWH projects which were found to have violated the procurement law was the P627.5-million road project in Pangasinan, whose contractor failed to put up a billboard showing the project

details.

“The noncompliance with the pertinent provisions of the (law) runs counter to the principles of transparency, efficiency and economy in the procurement process,” the COA said.

All stages of procurement

The state audit agency urged the DPWH to order its field offices to observe the provisions of the law “in all stages of the procurement of infrastructure projects and goods to ensure transparency, efficiency and economy in the procurement process.”

“The audit teams concerned considered the justifications given by management, but maintain that the lapses noted were in violation of the (law) thus may be subjected to further audit actions if no corrective measures are undertaken,” the COA said.