DPWH chief ready to sue contractors, if...

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson yesterday said he is ready to file charges against erring contractors and blacklist them from future government contracts if those who have knowledge of their wrongdoings would be willing to surface and act as complainants.

Singson issued the statement after Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao asked the DPWH to explain why it has yet to adopt the Commission on Audit’s (COA) recommendation to sue erring contractors for not finishing projects within the contract time, resulting in substantial losses to the government.

“Sure,” said Singson, “if those who know any wrongdoing (of the contractors) can give us their sworn statements so we can prosecute. It’s easy to accuse but difficult to prove because many who complain don’t want to do a sworn statement so we can immediately prosecute cases and blacklist erring contractors.”

If they would file a complaint, the DPWH would be able to determine if there were employees of the agency who were in connivance with the erring contractors, Singson explained.

Aggabao said that in 2007, a total of P1.036-billion worth of projects implemented by the DPWH field offices were not completed within the contract time.

Based on the COA report, the DPWH should collect liquidated damages from defaulting contractors and terminate the contracts for infrastructure projects with negative slippage of more than 10 percent.