De Guzman wants to move funding for pending infra projects into health, education programs
MANILA, Philippines — If elected, Partido ng Lakas ng Masa presidential bet Leody de Guzman wants the budget for pending infrastructure projects reallocated to health and education programs, citing alleged corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways.
He clarified, though, that projects that have already been started should be finished.
"Pero yung mga naka-pending pa, e itigil na muna natin at gamitin natin yung pondo doon sa pagbangon ng ating ekonomiya," de Guzman said at a webinar hosted by Ekonomustahan on Thursday.
(Those that are still pending, we should postpone those first and use the funds for economic recovery.)
One of the flagship projects of the current administration the massive "Build, Build, Build" program, which got a P1-trillion budget allocation for President Rodrigo Duterte's final year in office.
The "Build, Build, Build" program was touted as a means to fill a lack in investment in infrastructure in previous administrations and as a way to provide jobs.
"Grabe ang korupsyon sa DPWH. Grabe ang komisyon, ang 25%, 30% na komisyon ng mga kontraktor, ng mga congressman. Ako, okay lang naman sana—okay kung yan ay nakakatulong pero marami nang kwento ng korupsyon dyan," De Guzman claimed.
(The corruption in DPWH is too much. The commission is too much, the 25%, 30% commission of contractors, of congressmen. I would have been okay with [the infrastructure projects]—that would have been okay if it was beneficial but there have been a lot of stories of corruption there.)
He did not cite his basis for saying this but Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in June 2021 that the Task Force Against Corruption led by the Department of Justice had received 220 complaints and that most involved "anomalous transactions perpetrated jointly by these LGUs (local government units) and (DPWH) district engineering offices."
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'Put money in job creation, health, education'
The labor leader wants to reallocate the financing to programs that would help create jobs, to support the country’s health sector, and for its educational system.
De Guzman also suggested more investments in mass transportation systems instead of roads and expressways.
“Ang problema ng ating bansa, ng ating mga gobyerno—idinadaan sa kamay ng mga malalaking negosyante yung pag-uunlad ng bansa at kabuhayan ng mga tao,” de Guzman said.
(The problem with our country, with our governments—they put the country’s development and the livelihoods of our people into the hands of big businesses.)
De Guzman is campaigning for a "Labor First Policy" alongside Laban ng Masa's Walden Bello. — Kaycee Valmonte
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