'BLANKET ACCUSATION UNFAIR'

Defensor asks PACC to name solons allegedly involved in DPWH corruption

House committee on public accounts chairperson Mike Defensor on Friday said the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) should reveal the names of congressmen who are allegedly involved in corrupt activities within the Department of Public Works and Highways.

"Ang panawagan ko huwag naman blanket accusation, huwag naman nilalahat dahil unfair din sa institusyon at sa maraming miyembro ng Kongreso na naniniwala akong hindi naman ganito ang ginagawa," Defensor said in an interview with reporters.

"If there are really corrupt practices being done and they are saying congressmen or congresswomen are involved, then they should really point to whoever are involved. Ituro na talaga nila at magkaroon ng malalim na pag-aaral," he added.

PACC chief Greco Belgica reportedly claimed in a radio interview that DPWH district engineers are being bullied by some congressmen.

Defensor said he would be willing to hold a House investigation on the supposed corruption within the DPWH but he stressed that a third-party probe would be better if some congressmen are supposedly involved.

"Baka ang sabihin naman nila, self-serving. Gagawa ako ng investigation, pagkatapos [ang] mga kasamahan ko magkaroon ng absuwelto. Hindi maganda. So I would rather na they do a third-party invesigation—labas sa Kongreso, labas sa DPWH," he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson spotted some uniform allocations for local infrastructure projects in 42 congressional districts under the proposed DPWH budget. He added that some believe the agency was late in submitting its budget proposal for 2021 because of "haggling" with some congressmen.

"As to identification of 42 districts hindi ko alam 'yan, hindi ko pa nakita 'yan," Defensor said.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself said there is corruption within the DPWH. Nonetheless, he vouched for Public Works Secretary Mark Villar's integrity.

Villar recently created a task force to investigate alleged irregularities within the agency and vowed that its findings will be released "in the next month or so."—AOL, GMA News