LRTA: STILL NO PROJECT ONE YEAR AFTER GETTING P1.34-B!

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