According to Transparency International, "The ordinary men and women of CCAGG have now become synonymous with the fight against graft and corruption in Abra. The residents of this remote province in the Philippines have long paid the price for graft and corruption through poverty and lack of basic services. Poor roads and unfinished bridges have prevented the inhabitants of this agricultural province from reaching the markets that are essential to their livelihoods, despite the millions of pesos spent on the province’s infrastructure. Where there are government infrastructure projects under way, the group follows making sure that money is spent wisely. Their work has been emulated in other parts of the Philippines."
We asked him the basics, to explain the bidding process in construction projects. He told us that contractors bid on government projects, and that the lowest bid will win the contact to build. Simple enough. He said that his job was to make sure that contactors fulfilled their responsibilities efficiently and honestly.
"Sir, what is the state of corruption in Abra?"
His answer was definite: "There is no corruption here."
"I thought, sir, that you said it was possible for anomalies to occur in construction?"
"Yes, but right now, there is no corruption in Abra."
"Sir, is there any value to the CCAGG at all now?"
"Yes of course – they’re an enormous help right now, they’re doing very much good in Abra.
"Sir, if the role of the CCAGG is to expose corruption, and if you claim there is value to them now, doesn’t that mean that there is corruption?
"Uh. No. They’re helpful even without corruption."
"Is that possible, sir?
"Well, maybe there is a little corruption – but they’re not big."
"Sir, can you name projects that have been discovered to have been contaminated by corruption?"
"I don’t know any."
"Sir, you’ve been working as a project engineer for years, you are not aware any project that has failed and been exposed?
"No, I don’t, I don’t think there are really any."
"Sir, we have a list of those projects, and since you tell us that transparency is the government’s principle now, we only want to know if you stand true to that principle."
"I’ve forgotten, it was long ago."
"Sir, even one or two?"
"I forget."
Their biggest break came in 1987, when they exposed the uncompleted projects of DPWH, leading to the suspension of 11 government engineers for dishonesty and misconduct. In 1990, they secured a remove and replace order on an Abra-Ilocos project on a Bangued contractor for sub-standard practices they implemented in their road-concreting project.
It has been hard going for the CCAGG. Pura Sumangil, CCAGG’s chairman, told us that their members used to get numerous death threats.
Sumangil is a petite, elderly lady, soft-voiced and reminiscent of the nuns who used to teach in my school years back. She jokes with her assistants, big men who believed in the same idea she has been fighting for in the last 18 years, the same idea that democracy is based on: that ordinary citizens can come together and hold the government accountable to its people.
It took us more than two hours to cover the distance. The roads were unpaved and rock-strewn; our poor van struggled on, one agonizing foot at a time. I now know how it feels to be inside a bottle of Lea & Perrins – shake well before use.
We ended up transferring to our guides’ van – a monster with powerful shocks. If the first half of the trip was a slow-motion bump car ride, this one was like the Space Shuttle and Anchor’s Away rolled into one.
I opened the windows to feel the wind rush by. Then I raised my arms and screamed with sheer, unadulterated thrill. Yee-hah!
Yes, I haven’t ridden a roller coaster in years. Forgive me.
The foundations of Manabo Bridge were poured in 1998. The plan was to allow remote areas to be able to reach the mainland, a project long awaited and desperately needed – something to replace the barges that have been ferrying people for the last few decades. When the media first discovered it in 2000, only a quarter of the bridge was constructed due to a lack of government funding. We were told that when the former DBM secretary left, so did the political will to develop this part of Abra. Former President Ramos sent funding over, but it was only enough for a phase of the bridge’s development.
When we arrived last weekend, a whole five years after this was exposed in the media, the same 25 percent still stood. An estimated P40 million was said to have already been spent in the construction of this white elephant – a bridge beginning nowhere and ending nowhere, and what the locals call their very own, personal diving board.
It’s true, there will always be those afraid to speak out, and those who will continue to deny that a problem exists. What we saw that day were people, ordinary citizens who dared take up the challenge of citizenship. We know two things: one, that there will be a thousand and one trials ahead when it comes to dealing with corruption. Two, that knowing this, Abrenians will still continue fighting.
Like the sunset over Abra, the solution may not come in one final burst of brilliant color. It is the almost imperceptible shift from daylight to dusk, a soft fading of light into a purpling blue.