THE Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) yesterday gathered various financial institutions and other concerned government agencies to coordinate all efforts for the recovery of hundreds of billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money that were squandered through anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects.
Among those present during yesterday’s meeting at the ICI were officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Commission on Audit (COA), Civil Service Commission (CSC) Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Insurance Commission (IC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) , Land Registration Authority (LRA), Land Transportation Office, (LTO) Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
In his opening statement, ICI Chairman Andres Reyes said the meeting is an important step to pursue the restitution and recovery assets tied to ghost and substandard flood control and public infrastructure projects.
Reyes stressed that the investigation, prosecution and conviction of those responsible for this corruption scandal would not be sufficient to appease the public’s outrage if the stolen funds are not returned.
‘All those persons responsible for this may be prosecuted and jailed, but to completely heal our nation, justice is not enough. We need restitution,’ Reyes said.
Reyes said restitution is defined under the law as the ‘act of making good or giving equivalent for any loss, damage or injury; and indemnification.’
He lamented that the country is now in crisis because of the flood-control scandal which involves government officials who manipulated the national budget to satisfy their greed.
The money which should have been utilized to uplift the lives of Filipinos were used by corrupt individuals ‘to buy exotic cars, enjoy luxury vacations, and gamble in casinos,’ Reyes said.
Thus, Reyes called on all government agencies to ‘band together and pool our resources’ to go after the assets of those involved in the corruption mess.
It can be recalled that the BIR has already filed a P7.18 billion tax evasion case against contractor-couple Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya.
The ICI’s meeting with government financial institutions came a day after the Discayas manifested their decision to no longer cooperate in the commission’s ongoing investigation.
The Discayas, according to ICI Executive Director and spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka, cited a media interview of ICI Commissioner Rogelio Singson where the latter expressed his personal opinion that the couple are not qualified to become state witnesses since they were ‘principal players’ in the flood control corruption scandal.
Hosaka said the DIscayas were of the belief that the ICI would back their bid to become state witnesses because of their continued cooperation.
However, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said the Discayas have no right to demand anything from the government at this time since there are processes to be followed in applying for witness protection coverage.
‘It is not up to anyone to dictate how we conduct our evaluation. No one can impose conditions on us. In fact, we will do the evaluation and determine whether they qualify for the program or not,’ Fadullon explained.
Fadullon, however, noted that there has been no indication that the Discayas will also terminate their involvement in the investigation being conducted by the DOJ.
The Discayas have been placed under the DOJ’s protected witnesses after they agreed to execute a ‘tell-all’ affidavit about the flood control projects scandal.
However, the DOJ earlier said evidence and testimonies provided so far by contractor-couple are still not sufficient for them to be considered as state witnesses.
Protecting Go
OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla said one of the issues that the Discayas had been trying to evade was the alleged involvement of Senator Christopher Go’s family in infrastructure projects in the Davao Region.
Remulla said the Discayas refused to provide further details about the alleged joint venture between their construction firm St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corporation and CLTG Builders which is owned by the senator’s family.
The Discayas, according to Remulla, claimed that their license was merely used by another firm involved in these projects.
‘They don’t want to tell us anything. They just said that they don’t have anything and they don’t know anything because they just let their license be borrowed. That’s difficult to accept,’ Remulla said.
Remulla noted that Discayas’ businesses grew big during the past administration because they were able to talk to a lot of people and entered into several contracts.
‘But, they’re not telling us everything. They’re being selective on what they want to say,’ Remulla said.
Don’t divert probe focus-Go
IN a news conference, Sen. Christopher Go said he was willing to cooperate with investigators of the flood-control fund fiasco, but warned against attempts to ‘derail’ the inquiry by ‘diverting’ attention away from the truly guilty parties by dragging innocent people like him into the controversy.
Speaking partly in Filipino, Go lamented how the flood-fund controversy has been used by powerful forces working behind the scene to ‘throw mud’ at people like him.
This, even as he strongly denied he or his family was involved in any ghost or substandard infrastructure project.
Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the DPWH together with the Ombudsman will start looking into the dealings of CLTG and its links with the Discayas.
Dizon said the investigation was an offshoot of the admission of the Discayas before the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee hearing that their businesses grew significantly starting in 2016.
‘So that’s the directive given to me, and that’s what we discussed with Ombudsman ‘Boying’ [Remulla] and that’s what we will do,’ Dizon said.
‘No one will be spared here. No sacred cows. Whoever is implicated by the evidence must be held accountable – it’s that simple,’ he added.
Dizon reiterated that their investigation into the anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects covers the period from 2016 to 2025.
‘Everything the Ombudsman needs, from the Discayas’ contracts from 2016 to 2025, we will provide. Whatever they need, we will give them,’ Dizon added.
Dizon also said that charges are likely to be filed by the Ombudsman against the Discayas and several others before the Sandiganbayan in the coming weeks.
He said the first graft and malversation of public funds case that the DPWH filed last month which involves the Discayas is now being readied by the Ombudsman for filing with the anti-graft court.
‘If they don’t want to cooperate, that’s their decision. But the Ombudsman will go after them to the full extent of the law,’ Dizon said while noting that the Discayas are facing non-bailable offenses.