House probe on delayed Manila Bay project sought

MANILA, Philippines — An administration lawmaker has filed a resolution in the House of Representatives, urging the committee on good government and public accountability to conduct an investigation over a developer’s delay to finish its contract with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

Rep. Enrico Pineda of 1Pacman party-list, who chairs the House committee on labor, said there is a need to look into the allegedly illegal claims and onerous changes the DM Wenceslao Corp. committed in its contract with the PRA.

House Resolution 2611 aims to conduct a hearing, in aid of legislation, on DM Wenceslao’s September 1989 project along Manila Bay wherein the contractor, along with three other firms collectively known as R-1 Consortium, agreed to reclaim the area.

The contractor entered into an agreement with the PRA for the reclamation project.

Pineda said the project suffered delays and extensions.

“The PRA has been hounded and harassed by DM Wenceslao to issue a transfer certificate of title to the reclaimed lands,” he said.

Pineda said government agencies must remain free from harassment by private corporations seeking to “earn profit at whatever cause, especially if this is at the expense of the government.”

He said various government offices have determined that the implementation of certain provisions of the agreement between the PRA and DM Wenceslao was allegedly disadvantageous to the agency.