Pacquiao wants Senate probe on P9-B rock netting project in Benguet

Senator Manny Pacquiao will seek a Senate investigation on the P9-billion rock netting project in Benguet, which was allegedly backed by the province’s caretaker, ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Go Yap.

In an interview, Pacquiao said the Senate public works committee, which he chairs, will look into the complaint which was raised by a group during his visit in Baguio City on Tuesday.

“Nakita ko naman ‘yung mga papers totoo, ito ang files nila, ito ang mga pirma ng mga nagrereklamo ng corruption. I-hear natin ito, papakinggan natin, ipapatawag natin, ang involved dito ang caretaker si Congressman Eric Yap,” Pacquiao, a presidential aspirant, said.

(I saw the papers it was a legitimate concern. They have the files and they have signatures of those who complain about the alleged corruption. We will hear this, we will call the involved individuals, including their caretaker, Congressman Eric Yap.)

Currently, the senator said the project completion is at 25%.

“Nasaan ang P9 billion? Kung 25% lang ang implementation nito sa P9 billion e kumita sila ng mga P5 to 6 billion. So imbestigahan natin hindi tayo magbigay ng conclusion ngayon basta sisikapin ko, [gagawin ko] ang aking makakaya para makasuhan, makulong lalo na siguro kung nandyan na ako, makikita ninyo kung paano ko ipasok sa selda ang mga kawatan sa gobyerno,” he said.

(Where is this P9 billion? If the project is 25% completed, then they have earned around P5 to P6 billion. So we will investigate this. We will not render a conclusion right now but I will make sure that there will be filing of charges, those accountable will be jailed. If I will be elected, you will see how I will send those corrupt officials to the jails.)

He also questioned Yap’s designation as Benguet’s caretaker, saying the congressman was hailed in Davao, a province that is far from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

“Nagtaka lang kami kasi isa naman itong partylist si Eric Yap tapos siya naging caretaker dito sa Benguet e pagkalayo-layo. Itong si Eric Yap taga-Davao ito and then for the first time na naging caretaker s’ya may project dito na biglang project na P9 billion. Dito sa Benguet. Wow. Amazing,” the senator said.

(We are wondering why Eric Yap, a partylist representative, became a caretaker of Benguet. Eric Yap is from Davao. The first time he became the caretaker, he already had a P9-billion project here. Wow. Amazing.)

Apart from being Benguet's caretaker, Yap also chairs the House committee on appropriations, the panel in charge of deliberating and amending the bill that contains the government's yearly budget.

Moreover, Pacquiao said he will call Yap to attend the Senate probe despite the inter-parliamentary courtesy which most of the lawmakers observe.

“Yes, ipapatawag din para sagutin itong project na ito, 'yung issue na ito, dahil hindi ito million, billion itong project na nakalagay dito,” he said.

(I will ask him to attend to answer the allegations related to this project because this involves not only millions but bllions.)

He also said he is not inclined to personally call Yap to get his side on the issue.

“Hindi ko tatawagan ‘yan. Eh bakit ko tatawagan? Mag-attend na lang s’ya sa ipatawag kong hearing,” the lawmaker said.

(I will not call him. Why would I? He should just attend the hearing that I will conduct.)

Responding to the allegations raised by Pacquiao, Yap said the issue was “consistent” with the narrative being used by his political opponents in Benguet.

“Obviously, it was fed to him when he was here earlier and was carelessly used in his media interview. I will not comment on his ability to discern the truth from lies, but I take offense on his statements which are clearly made for political gains. Please do not use me as one of your publicity stunts,” he said in a statement.

“What is unfathomable here is the fact that he has a conclusion in mind already. May bumulong siguro na "Si Congressman Yap po ang may kasalanan dyan" (there might be some people who told him that ‘Congressman Yap was the one behind that’) and he stuck with that,” he added.

The partylist lawmaker pointed out that it should be the implementing agency that should be asked on the implementation of the rock netting project and not him.

“Is that a question I should answer? Ako ba ang nagsabi na fully completed ang projects (Am I the one who claimed that the projects are already completed)  Shouldn't it be the responsibility of the implementing agency?” he asked.

“I urge the good Senator to be careful on his statements. Do not be a tool for the political interests of my opponents, you should know when a person is being used as a weapon by some people with selfish interests. But clearly, out of all these, it is evident, it is the election season once again,” he ended.

In January 2020, Yap was designated as the caretaker of Benguet province following the death of its representative, Nestor Fongwan, in December 2019.

Assigning a caretaker has recently been practiced at the House of Representatives whenever there is a vacancy in the position, even as the chamber's rules state that a special election should be held in cases of vacancy in the representation of legislative districts.

Recently, Yap has filed his certificate of candidacy to run as representative for the sole legislative district of Benguet.—AOL, GMA News