It’s not only the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) but the Light
Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as well who has HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE ACTIONS to
explain and MORE THAN P1 BILLION to account for. These are excerpts from a story
in interaksyon.com.:
The Commission on Audit (COA) revealed that P1.314 billion
was released in full to the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) in 2014, but
none of the rehabilitation programs lined up for LRT Lines 1 and 2 have been
implemented up to now. The Project
Status Report as of March 31, 2015 showed that most of the projects were only
in the stage of preparation of the Terms of Reference. Fourty-five of the multi-year
projects approved on Oct. 30, 2013 turned out to be entirely different from the
ones originally proposed to the DBM. Of the 24 projects originally
proposed and submitted to the DBM for funding, 17 projects for Line 2 were
implemented using the discredited P1.867-billion disbursement acceleration
program (DAP) fund.
Among the questionable points in the DAP-funded projects
are: Non-submission of important documents, hindering timely conduct of audit
and completion of legal and technical reviews; non-observance of the period of
action on procurement activities prescribed under the procurement law; use of expired
and deficient documents which were still approved as compliant with the terms
of reference. COA auditors cited as an
example the bidding for one of the projects on Feb. 16, 2012 wherein the Tax
Clearance Certificate submitted by Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) was valid only
until Dec. 15, 2011. The list of key personnel was composed of electrical
engineers and linemen based on their curriculum vitae even though the terms of
reference stated that work shall be supervised by a registered civil or
structural engineer. The names of the board of directors of KORAIL even
differed from the names in the company profile and in the minutes of the firm’s
102nd board meeting.
Now, first and foremost, WHERE IS THE P1.34 BILLION? WHO is
the custodian/and or authorized disbursing officer (s)? Where are the documents proving that the
money is INTACT AND UNTOUCHED, and has never been TOUCHED OR USED? Since the
P1.34 billion has been released in full, then it should be in a bank (s). So
WHERE IS THE INTEREST? HOW MUCH is it now and WHERE does it go? Until the LRTA
can show the money and the corresponding records, WE HAVE NO GUARANTEE that the
P1.34 billion still exists and has not been diverted elsewhere. Think about these, people: If the P1.34 billion had been placed in
short-term investments like the money market or time deposits, even one percent
of that would still amount to MORE THAN P10 MILLION.
Second: WHY was the P1.34 billion RELEASED IN FULL when work
had NOT EVEN STARTED YET? To the lawyers out there, please enlighten us if this
is legal. What made the LRTA SO SPECIAL? was the basis, and who authorized the advanced
and full release? And have Department of Budget and Management or Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) officials done anything to the apparent
irregularities noted by COA auditors?
MASAHOL PA SA ALKANSIYA kung ituring tayo ng ilang ahensiya
ng gobyerno. 30