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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Accreditation for sale? Contractors offered a P2 million fee by PCAB, Lacson reveals

Accreditation for sale? Contractors offered a P2 million fee by PCAB, Lacson reveals

Published Aug 27, 2025 05:51 pm
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson revealed on Wednesday, Aug. 27, that accreditations are being offered to contractors for a fee starting at P2 million.
Senator Panfilo
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (Senate PRIB photo)
According to Lacson, this was being done by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), the implementing board of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), adding that this authority is under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Lacson disclosed this during the interpellation of Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III of his privilege speech on flood control projects.
"Nahaluan na rin ata ng konti o di lang konting katiwalian pagdating sa flood control projects (It seems there’s also been a bit — or maybe more than a bit — of corruption involved in the flood control projects)," he said.
In his interpellation, Sotto mentioned Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation and St. Timothy Construction Corporation. He pointed out that in the records of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) there are different owners of these companies, but in actuality, they are actually belong to a single owner, who he said also owns the blacklisted St. Gerrard Construction.
He cited a case in the Court of Tax Appeals, wherein it is stated, according to Sotto, that St. Timothy, St. Matthew, St. Gerrard, and Alpha and Omega Construction have the same address. He added that the major stockholder of St. Timothy, who owns 85 percent of the company, is also the marketing director of St. Gerrard.
"Billions of government projects concentrated and monopolized by a few," Sotto said.
As President Marcos presented, 20 percent of the entire P545-billion flood control projects were awarded to only 15 contractors, adding that five of them had contracts around the Philippines. Both Alpha and Omega as well as St. Timothy are among the 15 contractors the President showed.
Sotto asked how some contractors can monopolize government projects and who monitors this kind of "circumvention".
"Itong PCAB, nagreresort na sa accreditation for sale (PCAB is resorting accreditation for sale). May mga ganyang reports (There are these kinds of reports), and I've talked to some private contractors and they had this experience of being offered accreditation by PCAB," Lacson said.
"Sila na yung bahala sa (They will take care of the) bank certificate and other requirements for a fee of P2 million for a start," he added.
Lacson said that they would bring this up in the second hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Related Tags

ping lacson Tito Sotto Flood control flood control project
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