Dela Rosa move to summon contractors absent in the Senate flood control hearing
The Senate blue ribbon committee ordered the issuance of subpoenas against private contractors that failed to attend the initial public hearing of anomalous flood control projects.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa made a motion for the issuance of subpoena against absent invited contractors to require them to attend the next hearing.
Panel chairperson Senator Rodante Marcoleta approved the motion after no senator objected.
“Seven out of 15 are represented today in this hearing? And they just simply replied but did not send representatives? I just hope this is not a sign of disinterest on their part because this meeting is called precisely to get to the bottom of this problem,” Marcoleta said.
Committee vice chairperson Erwin Tulfo then made a manifestation, saying that the contractors that will be summoned to the Senate have to come up with a reasonable answer why they were absent.
“Para hong ginagago itong committee natin—na may sakit, nagbakasyon na, may mga prior schedule. Ano mas importante—prior schedule o itong imbestigasyon na ‘to? Because P544 billion ang pinag-uusapan natin, not a small change, Mr. Chair,” Tulfo said.
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. Five of these 15 contractors, he said, have projects in almost all regions nationwide.
These contractors are:
- Legacy Construction Corporation
- Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- Timothy Construction Corporation
- QM Builders
- EGB Construction Corporation
- Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.
- Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
- Sunwest, Inc.
- Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp.
- Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc.
- Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.
- Wawao Builders
- MG Samidan Construction
- R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.
- Road Edge Trading & Development Services
Of them, only the Legacy Construction Corporation, QM Builders, EGB Construction Corporation, Centerways Construction and Development Inc., Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc., MG Samidan Construction, and Road Edge Trading & Development Services were represented in the first hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
