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(Larawan ni Jo Santos)
SADYANG kahanga-hanga ang agresibong kampanya ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. laban sa sistematiko at malawakang katiwalian sa pamahalaan.
Gayunpaman, naniniwala si three-term Congressman Robert Ace Barbers na hindi limitado sa mga ghost flood control projects ang korapsyon, kasabay ng giit na dapat isulong ng Pangulo ang pagbusisi sa iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno.
Ayon sa dating Surigao del Norte lawmaker, naging epektibo ang paglulunsad ni Marcos sa “sumbongsapangulo.ph” website na nagsisilbing tulay ng mga mamamayan para iparating sa Palasyo ang mga anomalya sa mga flood control projects ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Bukod sa mga nabistong ghost projects, naungkat rin sa naturang website ang multi-billion-peso flood control anomalies, na may bahid ng overpricing, repeat repairs para lumaki ang halaga ng proyekto, palpak na pagkakagawa, at paggamit ng substandard materials.
“The President’s active role in going to and personally inspecting anomalous flood control projects has caused jitters among certain DPWH officials, contractors and politicians. And I give him a snappy salute for doing it,” bulalas pa Barbers.
Mungkahi naman ni Barbers, na higit na nakilala bilang punong abala sa likod ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs at Quad Committee sa nakaraang 19th Congress, hindi dapat limitado ang giyera kontra korapsyon sa flood control projects ng DPWH, bagkus ay maisama rin ang iba pang government agencies na tinukoy ng Office of the Ombudsman.
“The Ombudsman has installed Resident Ombudsman on several graft-prone departments or agencies and they include, aside from the DPWH, the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Power Corporation, Department of Education, National Power Corporation, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, Philippine Ports Authority, Department of Health, among others,” sabi ng former congressman.
“I believe, and I propose, that the admins of the President’s ‘sumbongsapangulo.ph’ website should also accept, review, evaluate, and compartmentalize by agencies or departments, all complaints or reports of anomalous transactions that has happened or presently happening thereat,” mungkahi pa niya.
“But after unraveling anomalies on flood control projects, I suggest that his public grievance platform should also call on citizens to report irregularities being perpetrated by other rogue government officials and their favored contractors and traders from other graft-prone departments and agencies I’ve mentioned above,” dagdag ni Barbers.
Dapat din aniyang pagbawalan o ma-blacklist ang alinmang lokal na kumpanya, kasama na ang may-ari nito o iba pang konektadong indibidwal sa lahat bidding para sa mga government o tax-funded projects sa sandaling mapatunayang dawit sa irregularidad.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission, National Bureau of Investigation, the Board of Investments or any other concerned agencies should have their own researchers and/or probers to prevent rogue firms and their owners from just shutting down their firms and start operations under new names,” dagdag pa niya.
Umaasa naman si Barbers na mas lalong paiigtingin ni Pangulong Marcos ang anti-graft campaign at tiyakin maparusahan ang lahat ng sangkot o direktang may kinalaman sa paglulustay sa bilyong-bilyong pisong pondo ng gobyerno.
“The success of BBM’s current anti-graft campaign will be a huge legacy of his administration and surely will be embedded in the history of our country,” pahabol ni Barbers. (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
