BY JP LOPEZ

SENATORS vowed yesterday to investigate the multi-billion "road contracts cartel" that cornered infrastructure projects, as exposed by the World Bank.

The World Bank last week announced it is blacklisting seven firms and an individual from projects it is funding for allegedly rigging biddings for Phase 1 of the National Road Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP).

E.C. de Luna Construction Corp. and its proprietor Eduardo C. de Luna were permanently barred. China Road and Bridge Corp. was banned for eight years, China State Construction Corp. and China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. for six years, China Geo-Engineering Corp for five years, and Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction for four years.

Last August, Dongsung Construction Co. Ltd. was blacklisted for four years for fraudulent and corrupt practices in the same road program.

The irregularities stalled the release of $232 million World Bank funding for Phase 2 of the NRIMP two years ago.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that bundles of peso bills totaling P70 million, supposedly a "commission" or "advance payment" for the P1.4 billion road project for the rehabilitation of EDSA stretch, were found strewn on the floor of a Makati building last year.

Lacson refused to give details, saying only that the information came from one of the five contractors who failed to get the contract despite the advance payment.

"It’s about a contract na dapat makuha ng isang grupo ng kontratista. I think there were five of them at the time. Dahil nagkalagayan na, kailangang mai-award na sa kanila… siyempre nagrereklamo ang kontratista… dahil nakapag-deliver na nga ng perang pang-ayos sa kontrata, e hindi na-award sa kanya ang contract," he said.

He said the P70 million in bills was too heavy for a person to carry. "Kung iaakyat mo sa hagdanan baka di nag-synchronize ang hakbang sa baytang, kaya sumabog," he said.

"Makikita natin cartelized talaga ang trabaho sa infrastructure projects kasi hindi pa nagkakaroon ng award bakit nakakapag-advance na sila? So magkakaroon ng assurance na sa kanila mapupunta ang proyekto," Lacson said.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II said a Senate probe is necessary to identify those involved in the rigging of WB-financed road projects.

"Nakakahiya na talaga. Kung titingnan natin, ang mga nasa labas pa ang nakapupuna sa atin… In fact, nung nakaraang buwan tinanggal tayo sa listahan mula sa Amerika at sa United Nations ng makakatanggap ng Millennium Development money dahil sabi nila, sayang lang ang pera, napupunta lang sa korapsyon," he said.

Sen. Francis Escudero said he will revisit the procurement law through a bill he filed in 2007 amending R.A. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

SB No 1963 seeks to address the existing government procurement system embodied in R.A. 9184.