(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, July 6, said he would hold Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar accountable if there was any delay or failure in the government’s infrastructure projects, noting the need to eliminate corruption for the country to progress.
“So I would like to call the attention of the secretaries, especially Secretary Villar, that if there is any slippage of any work of any kind by the national government. If you delay or if I see tomorrow, beginning tomorrow, and you are all invited to see me in Malacañang,” Duterte said in his speech in Davao City.
“Yang project mo pagka pumalpak, I will hold the Secretary responsible,” he added.
The President particularly noted the need to eradicate the practice of some unscrupulous officials who get government funds for projects, leaving the contractor with less to work with.
He said this results in low-quality projects.
According to Duterte, it is for this reason he preferred a Swiss challenge in the bidding of contracts, and not the lowest-bid policy.
Under a Swiss challenge, third parties are allowed to challenge the bid of an unsolicited one for a project.
‘Pag may highway diyan na palpak, the city engineer at itong project engineer or whatever, if there is delay or slippage, they call it, and it is about 20 percent perfect, you are out. I will cancel the contract pati—lahat gusto ko Swiss challenge na lang. Swiss challenge, you produce the bridge and I’ll pay you. If you do not publish it in accordance with the specs, as my specifications, I will not pay you,” he said.
As for the public, he said they should be “assertive” like the Americans.
Apart from the fact that they should report any incident of corruption, he said they should answer back to any government worker who tries to extort from them..
“Sabihin mo, ‘Bakit ako magbayad sayo p****** i** ka. Trabahante ka lang ng gobyerno l****ka,'” he said.
