EDITORIAL - Congress must do its part

More than two years after receiving a report from the World Bank about possible rigging of the bid for a WB-funded road project, the Office of the Ombudsman recommended yesterday the filing of criminal charges against 17 current and former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways. The 17 include former DPWH acting secretary Florante Soriquez and current Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan as well as three assistant secretaries. Most of those recommended for prosecution were members of the DPWH bids and awards committee.

The Ombudsman said the recommendations constitute the first phase and other individuals mentioned in the World Bank report would still be summoned, including someone who reportedly mentioned First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. The three Filipino contractors permanently debarred or suspended by the World Bank would also be investigated for possible collusion with the members of the DPWH bidding committee.

The World Bank debarment covers only phase one of the National Roads Improvement and Management Project. The WB has since started implementing measures to prevent the rigging of bids for its projects as it continues its development programs in the Philippines.

Details of the purported bid rigging have been widely reported. Those details can help authorities determine the extent of bid rigging in other government agencies. As in the case of the DPWH, ranking officials could be colluding in the rigging, but there must be honest public servants in every government agency who can smoke out crooks if given sufficient tips for catching them.

For its part, Congress must pass legislation that will correct deficiencies in government procurement. This may be too much to ask of the House of Representatives, which handled the World Bank controversy for all of two sessions before dropping it like a hot potato and clearing everyone implicated in the World Bank report. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that a number of House members have assets or family interests in construction. But the Senate can step in and pass the necessary legislation, and bring pressure on the House to pass its version of a measure that aims to reduce corruption. The Ombudsman is making its move. Congress must do its part.