Senator Panfilo Lacson bared Wednesday revealed the status of some unfinished local infrastructure projects that were already funded in previous years but are still included in the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
During the plenary debates on the budget bill, Lacson said that there are 5,913 so-called rehashed infra projects worth P135 billion.
The senator presented photos of unfinished multi-purpose buildings in different provinces such as La Union, Pangasinan, and Isabela.
“Are we going to allow that this will be funded in the 2021 budget?” Lacson asked his colleagues, adding that his team inspected some items that were given re-appropriations in the proposed DPWH 2021 budget.
“Nakita naman natin na skeleton ‘yung after spending or appropriating a few million pesos, ganoon ang itsura. Eh para na tayong nagpapaloko,” he added.
Lacson recommended “just delete” the proposed allocations worth P68 billion for such skeleton multi-purpose buildings.
He added it is better to realign the budget for the “skeleton” projects to the construction of evacuation centers and quarantine facilities, so priorities would be more aligned to the theme “Reset, Rebound, Recover.”
Sonny Angara, Senate committee on finance chairperson, said he would be open to any of Lacson’s proposed amendments and give the concerned agencies a chance to explain the “skeleton” projects.
Lacson reveals ‘skeleton’ infra projects included in 2021 DPWH budget
Commission on Audit earlier flagged DPWH over P100 billion worth of delayed and unimplemented agency projects in 2019.
COA said an evaluation on the status of the 2,411 regular infrastructure projects, school buildings, and farm-to-market road projects implemented by DPWH offices from 2015 to 2019 disclosed the following findings:
- 1,740 projects with a total cost of P65.989 billion were not finished nor completed within the specific contract time or required completion date
- 550 projects amounting to P31 billion were suspended
- 40 projects costing at least P1.444 billion were terminated
- 81 projects amounting to P3.206 billion have not been started at all during the year
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte stepped his anti-corruption campaign and offered P50,000 to P100,000 cash incentives to anyone who could give information about any government “ghost project.”
Duterte said Tuesday night that he is willing to give cash reward to anyone who can provide information regarding any anomalous government contract.