Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on the World Bank report on the Judiciary Contrary to the excitable—but utterly wrong—conclusions of an opposition lawmaker, the…
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Category: World Bank projects
Please see official statement of World Bank on the meeting with senators below.
by JP Lopez
Malaya
The World Bank had named presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo as a participant in the rigging of biddings for WB-funded road projects and this information was relayed to the Ombudsman 15 months ago.
This surfaced after a briefing yesterday by WB officials of senators on an investigation in 2006, which found that a “cartel” of local and foreign contractors, assisted by public works officials and two “public figures,” had been colluding in bidding for contracts.
The “public figures” were Mr. Arroyo and the late Sen. Robert Barbers.
Blue Ribbon likely to take over investigation
by JP Lopez
Malaya
The Senate economic affairs panel chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago will no longer investigate the criminal side of the World Bank report on alleged collusion and bribery in government infrastructure projects and will instead focus on the report’s economic implications.
Santiago said this was the consensus reached by the majority bloc in a caucus called yesterday after some senators complained that last week’s hearing turned into a forum for bashing the World Bank.
“The first item is, pursuant to my recommendation, the Senate economic affairs committee will no longer issue subpoena to the country director of the WB,” Santiago said.
Never mind Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Santiago. We know them to be allies of Gloria Arroyo (or whoever will serve their interest).
But it was painful to see Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who fought the Marcos tyranny and was a victim of electoral cheating, spouting the same line as Enrile and Santiago putting the pressure on the World Bank, which exposed the rigging of bids in the public works it finances, instead of Finance Secretary Gary Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who, by their non-action, protected Gloria Arroyo, Mike Arroyo and other crooks named in the WB report.
I texted Sen. Pimentel telling him of my disappointment about his role in last Thursday’s Senate hearing and this was his reply:
“Sorry, dear Ellen, for creating the misimpression. That’s the last I’d do: protect GMA and company.
Dapat siguro palitan na ang liderato sa Senado.Mukha ngang naisahan ng Malacañang sina Senador Ping Lacson, Mar Roxas, Jamby Madrigal nang tinanggal nila si Senate President Manny Villar at ipinalit si Senador Juan Ponce Enrile.
Para kasi makuha ang suporta ng mga kaalyado ni Gloria Arroyo sa pagtanggal kay Villar, pumayag sina Lacson na ibigay ang mga mahalagang committee sa mga kaalyado ni Arroyo. At nakikisama sila sa kanila.
Akala kasi nina Lacson na dahil itong sina Enrile at Santiago ay makasarili, kapag mabaho na si Arroyo, bibitawan nila. Hindi nila naiisip na kaya ni Arroyo magbigay ng hindi kayang ibigay ng iba para sa mga katulad nina Enrile at Santiago.
At a forum sponsored by the Catholic Media Network and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at Ilustrado yesterday Bertie Lim, executive director of the Makati Business Club and Vince Lazatin of the Transparency and Accountability Network expressed concern that despite the damning revelations in the World Bank report, corruption in the Arroyo government is not expected to diminish.
Lim said the public should be vigilant over how the Arroyo government spends the P330 billion stimulus package to alleviate the effects of the global financial crisis on Filipinos.
Lim took note that elections are 15 months away and politicians are known to be brazen in their fund raising for that exercise. In fact, in the investigation that World Bank conducted on the road projects that it was financing, a portion of the report stated, “The winner paid off politicians for election campaign funds.”
The World Bank has in its possession documents of bribe payments to politicians in connection with public works projects it is funding in the Philippines.…
By Yvonne T. Chua VERA Files THE World Bank has identified at least a dozen stages in the country’s road projects, from procurement to payment,…