MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (pic) on Wednesday (Aug 20) said he is “thinking very hard” about filing economic sabotage charges against people who are discovered to have committed fraud in flood-control projects in the country.
He made the remark after inspecting the supposed site of a reinforced concrete river wall project in Purok 4, Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan which was scheduled to begin last February, but up to this day, not a single wall has been built.
The project —a 220-metre river wall—cost the government P55.7 million. It was awarded to Syms Construction Trading.
“It’s very clear that the project isn’t completed. So immediately, that’s falsification—and that alone is already a very serious violation,” he said.
“For the big ones, I’m thinking very hard about charging them with economic sabotage,” he said when asked about the end goal of the Commission on Audit’s fraud audit into billions of pesos worth of flood-control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bulacan.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has ordered a 90-day suspension of licence of the SUV driver after a road rage incident.
“Since we put up the website [sumbongsapangulo.ph], so many people have been writing in, and this is a perfect example of the abuse being committed by some of these contractors,” Marcos said.
Visibly annoyed, the president noted that he was beyond merely disappointed with this newly discovered anomalous flood-prevention project.
“Well, more than disappointed, I’m getting very angry,” he said.
“If all of these projects had been properly executed and implemented, many of our problems—and those of the people—could have been avoided. It would also have ensured better systems for irrigation, water supply, and even fresh water for households,” Marcos explained.
INQUIRER.net sought a comment from Syms Construction Trading but has yet to receive one. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
