Andaya: Billions in projects bid out before budget was approved

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said Tuesday that billions of pesos in projects for Sorsogon were bid out as early as November 2017, citing unnamed sources from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

According to Andaya, the bidding took place even as Congress was deliberating on the then-proposed budget for 2018.

“Lumalabas na hindi lang sa 2018 budget nangyari yun. Pati pala noong 2017 budget, ganoon din. At itinutuloy nila ito hanggang ngayon sa proposed 2019 national budget,” the Camarines Sur 1st District congressman said in a statement.

“Kaya pala lagi kaming minamadali sa Kongreso na aprubahan agad ang budget. May naghihintay nang mga kontratista sa Sorsogon,” he added.

Saying that more whistleblowers were coming out, Andaya said there was “an urgent need for Congress to exercise its oversight function over the disbursement of government funds.”

He said they would scrutinize DBM for these “questionable allocations” whether Cabinet members appear or not in their scheduled hearing on January 3 and their subsequent probes.

Andaya and Minority Leader Danilo Suarez have been accusing Diokno of orchestrating the “insertion” of some P75 billion in infrastructure funds in the proposed 2019 national budget without the knowledge of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as well those congressmen whose district would benefit.

READ: Andaya says Diokno behind P75-B insertion in DPWH budget | Infra ‘insertions’ in 2019 budget P75B, not P51.8B — Diokno

But Diokno said the P75 billion were not “insertions” but “adjustments” which were part of the budget process, particularly the government’s commitment to allocate at least 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to infrastructure.

The budget secretary said only P480 billion was initially approved for the DPWH, which was short of the 5 percent of GDP commitment, so the budget was adjusted by P75.5 billion to P555.7 billion.

READ: Diokno: P75-B ‘adjustment’ in DPWH 2019 budget is for infra commitment | Infra ‘insertions’ in 2019 budget P75B, not P51.8B — Diokno

Andaya has also tagged a Bulacan-based single proprietorship CT Leoncio Construction and Trading as involved in what he branded as “large-scale scam” since it bagged billions of pesos in government contracts in various provinces across the country based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by Malacañang to Congress.

READ: Andaya bares favored Palace contractor | House to summon ‘favored’ contractor behind multi-billion projects 

He said CT Leoncio Construction and Trading cornered P2.5 billion of the P10 billion released to Sorsogon this year. The mother of Diokno’s son-in-law is the vice governor of Sorsogon and his stepfather is the mayor of Casiguran town.

READ: Sorsogon solon denies getting P10B for infra projects in 2018 

The NEP, which contains the breakdown of proposed allocations in government, was prepared by the executive branch.

Andaya bared his exposès after Sen. Panfilo Lacson alleged that Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got P2.4 billion in “pork barrel” funds while he got P1.9 billion. Both denied Lacson’s allegations.

Meanwhile, Diokno said some lawmakers were raising issues against him to divert attention from the pork barrel issue. /cbb

READ: Diokno: Lawmakers diverting attention from ‘pork’

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