Ejercito suspects there was collusion among developers, contractors, NHA officials
By Roel Tibay
Published May 21, 2018 07:01 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday suspected there was collusion among developers, contractors and officials of the National Housing Authority (NHA) in the construction of substandard government housing projects for families affected during typhoons and man-made calamities.
Senator JV Ejercito
(Tony Pionilla / MANILA BULLETIN) Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, said this was evident during the panel’s hearing into the controversial housing projects saying it is evident that some officials of the NHA during the previous Aquino administration acted as ‘middle man’ to ensure that construction of these resettlement communities would go unhampered despite the fact the materials used were of low quality. “I really think there was collusion among contractors, developers, project engineers, middlemen within the NHA. Because they are the ones who approved and recommended the payment or release of fund,” Ejercito told reporters in an interview after a Senate hearing into the reported irregularities in the housing projects for Typhoon Yolanda, Pablo, Sendong victims and those who were displaced during the infamous ‘Zamboanga siege.’ “In the first place, why would they accept if it was really substandard or the quality is not good? So it is really possible there was collusion among them,” Ejercito pointed out. Ejercito also questioned why the NHA approved Manila-based contractors and allowed them to venture into subcontracting. “So dun pa lang, bawas kita. Nagpapa-pakyaw sila, talagang mag sa –suffer talaga yung quality of workmanship,” he said. The senator said the NHA should have been stringent in ensuring the integrity of the contractors they tapped for the projects. “That was also my question. They claim they lack manpower, that they have 350 ongoing projects at any given time—which is unacceptable,” Ejercito said. “Kasi ano ba naman puntahan mo yan once a week? You would be able to see the quality of work, di ba. Talagang, I’m not convinced with their answer, the justification arrived at by the former NHA officials,” he said. He denied, however, that his committee, is going after the Aquino administration over their accountability on these botched housing projects. “It just so happens that these typhoons—Yolanda, Sendong, Pablo—and even the Zamboanga siege happened during former President (Benigno) Aquino’s time. We just don’t want a repeat of this problem,” he said. Ejercito said he also cannot accept that the government spent P64-billion for the resettlement projects and yet it was only able to achieve 50-percent occupancy rate. “So nagtapon tayo ng ilang billion. We are throwing away billions (in government money),” he lamented. He said the panel will continue its hearing on the issue and delve on questions on the lands acquired by the NHA for the families of the calamity victims. “Talagang may kalokohan sa land acquisition, kasi karamihan sa mga kinuha nilang lupa ang layo sa kabihasnan,” he said.
Senator JV Ejercito(Tony Pionilla / MANILA BULLETIN) Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, said this was evident during the panel’s hearing into the controversial housing projects saying it is evident that some officials of the NHA during the previous Aquino administration acted as ‘middle man’ to ensure that construction of these resettlement communities would go unhampered despite the fact the materials used were of low quality. “I really think there was collusion among contractors, developers, project engineers, middlemen within the NHA. Because they are the ones who approved and recommended the payment or release of fund,” Ejercito told reporters in an interview after a Senate hearing into the reported irregularities in the housing projects for Typhoon Yolanda, Pablo, Sendong victims and those who were displaced during the infamous ‘Zamboanga siege.’ “In the first place, why would they accept if it was really substandard or the quality is not good? So it is really possible there was collusion among them,” Ejercito pointed out. Ejercito also questioned why the NHA approved Manila-based contractors and allowed them to venture into subcontracting. “So dun pa lang, bawas kita. Nagpapa-pakyaw sila, talagang mag sa –suffer talaga yung quality of workmanship,” he said. The senator said the NHA should have been stringent in ensuring the integrity of the contractors they tapped for the projects. “That was also my question. They claim they lack manpower, that they have 350 ongoing projects at any given time—which is unacceptable,” Ejercito said. “Kasi ano ba naman puntahan mo yan once a week? You would be able to see the quality of work, di ba. Talagang, I’m not convinced with their answer, the justification arrived at by the former NHA officials,” he said. He denied, however, that his committee, is going after the Aquino administration over their accountability on these botched housing projects. “It just so happens that these typhoons—Yolanda, Sendong, Pablo—and even the Zamboanga siege happened during former President (Benigno) Aquino’s time. We just don’t want a repeat of this problem,” he said. Ejercito said he also cannot accept that the government spent P64-billion for the resettlement projects and yet it was only able to achieve 50-percent occupancy rate. “So nagtapon tayo ng ilang billion. We are throwing away billions (in government money),” he lamented. He said the panel will continue its hearing on the issue and delve on questions on the lands acquired by the NHA for the families of the calamity victims. “Talagang may kalokohan sa land acquisition, kasi karamihan sa mga kinuha nilang lupa ang layo sa kabihasnan,” he said.