House to ‘yield’ probe on a flood control project if name of solon comes up

The House of Representatives will "yield" its probe on an allegedly anomalous project if, during the course of its investigation, a member of the lower chamber is found to be involved, according to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.

At a news forum on Saturday in Quezon City, Ridon said that if a member of the House is named during the probe, they “will immediately recuse [the investigation] and yield it to, whether to an independent third party probe, if it will be formed, or to an executive led probe to make sure that there will be no conflict of interest or cover-up in the course of the tri-committee [hearings].”

The House panel on Public Accounts chairman, however, clarified that the tri-com will not suspend its entire probe but will only “recuse on a particular inquiry on a particular project if a name of a legislator came up.”

“For example, in project A, in the course of it there will be a whistleblower who will say, ‘Congressman A took kickbacks from that project.’ Obviously we will ask him [congressman] to explain and as soon as he gets to explain we will recuse and then endorse to the third party probe if it gets to be created or to the executive led probe,” explained Ridon.

Ridon, who chairs the House Committee on Public Accounts which was tasked to investigate the anomalies on flood control projects, said his panel along with the committees on Public Works and Good Government are now awaiting the plenary’s green light to begin the inquiry.

“This is not a personality led investigation, it is a project led investigation… We are going to do it on a project by project basis,” the lawmaker said at a news forum on Saturday in Quezon City.

“It’s not a witch hunt, we have to be able to afford due process to anyone… Again, it should be on a project to project inquiry,” he said.
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The lawmaker also said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong is welcome to submit his information on anomalous projects once the tri-com hearings commence.

Magalong earlier said he was waiting to be called to Congress after he said there were lawmakers receiving payoffs from infrastructure projects, including flood control programs.

The mayor's statement came after Ridon challenged him to show proof, which will back up his claims that some congressmen are supposedly receiving 30% to 40% kickbacks in government projects.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. earlier disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors.

'This is another disturbing assessment, statistic: 20% of the entire P545 billion budget napunta lang sa 15 na contractor. Sa 15 na contractor na ‘yan, lima sa kanila ay may kontrata sa buong Pilipinas. Keep going. Ayan. Ito na ‘yung listahan,'' Marcos said on Monday as he launched the website on flood control projects. 

Asked if these contractors have links to sitting government executives and officials, Marcos said the administration is still looking into it.

In his last State of the Nation Address, the President vowed to ensure that those involved in anomalous flood control projects would be held accountable. —VAL, GMA Integrated News