The government must claim multi-million—if not billion—worth of warranties, penalties, and surety bonds from contractors of the failed flood control projects that have repeatedly endangered the lives and livelihoods of Filipinos with substandard or non-existent infrastructure, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
During Tuesday’s Senate plenary session where Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson delivered the third part of his expose on the anomalous multi-billions flood control projects, the senator raised the possibility of imposing immediate monetary punishment on the erring contractors.
“Hindi ba dapat based on what we have found out so far, may kilos na ang ating gobyerno para i-enforce itong warranties na ito sa mga napakaraming proyekto na na-uncover natin na substandard o kaya ghost projects,” he said.
“Ito po isang remedyo—penalties and waranties—that government can run after the contractors,” he added, pointing out that insurance companies and guarantee corporations would also have to shoulder the liabilities.
Insisting that the “monetary punishment” will be “fast and immediate” compared to the filing of criminal cases against the contractors, Pangilinan said they would have to reach out to newly appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on how to enforce the warranties and penalties.
“Kaya dito sa warranties na ito pwedeng habulin ng gobyerno, ng public works ang ating mga contractors, kanilang surety companies para makolekta, maihabol man lang ang ilang halaga na nalustay,” the senator explained.
“Immediately makaka-recover at masasaktan din itong mga contractor na ito dahil sila ay kahit paano hindi man sila nasasampahan pa ng kaso eh meron ng mga penalties na pwedeng ma-recover,” he added.
The senator said that penalties can range up to 30% of the total cost of the project that was proven to be substandard within one year of the date of project completion.