“WHEN I assumed office, I made a personal vow that I will not steal public funds. To this date, I kept that promise true.”
So was Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda quoted in a Philippine Daily Inquirer story last week, in response to the urging of the former Reverend Governor, Eddie T. Panlilio “to investigate reports that the practice of fleecing contractors in exchange for approval of their projects, has returned at the provincial capitol.”
This, even as she thanked her predecessor for calling her attention to such reports, which she readily dismissed as “false.”
Still, Pineda urged Panlilio to help produce evidence of any illegality in capitol transactions so these could be stopped, and the perpetrators punished.
Panlilio cited information from his “sources” at the capitol that SOPs – standard operating procedure degenerating to mean grease money – to the tune of 20 percent of project costs have allegedly become the rule of thumb at the bids and awards committee and the general services office.
Allegations of overpricing in the construction of district hospitals in Magalang and Macabebe were likewise raised by Panlilio as a case in point, relative to the SOP issue.
Emphatic was Pineda in saying – again, quoting the PDI story – that such “form of corruption does not exist and is not done under my administration.”
For his part, Atty. Andres Pangilinan Jr., the provincial administrator, branded the information relayed to Panlilio as “ridiculous.”
“I will never tolerate it…I can assure you alang makanita (there’s nothing like that).” So was Pangilinan quoted in the PDI story.
End of the story. Not quite.
True to his sharp, penetrating double vision of everything, veteran broadcaster Deng Pangilinan of dwRW saw some fire in the smoke of SOP allegations, thus: “Contractors of government projects are never silent.
When deals are done above board, they are the first to say how honest, how straight are the government men they are dealing with. When there are SOPs involved, contractors are also the first to whisper aloud about them.”
During the term of Panlilio, Deng said, it was “all real deal, no raw deal” with contractors hailing “the transparency in all transactions at the capitol.”
Furthered Deng: “Nanay should not dismiss these allegations. On the contrary, she should initiate an investigation. While we are most assured of the nobility of her intentions, of her integrity and honesty, we cannot be certain of those working under her.”
Deng wished to remind the governor of the “promise” she made to members of media in the days before her inauguration more than a year ago: “Nanay told us she would institutionalize transparency in all transactions at the capitol.
This, by embedding mediapersons and NGOs in all committees at the capitol, notably the bids and awards committee, and the quarry task force.”
Maybe, just maybe, if the governor did as she promised, there would not be any reason for Panlilio to resurrect himself and haunt her administration with these SOP allegations.
Yeah, maybe. Nonetheless, Panlilio had some praises for his nemesis too: “for cultivating unity with the provincial board and for surpassing the benchmark in the collection of quarry fees.”
There. Whatever.
