Press Release
October 6, 2011

TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA'S AMBUSH INTERVIEW

On the Over-Priced Bridges Program during the GMA Administration

Q: Iimbestigahan po ba ng Senado itong over-pricing ng mga bridges?

Serge: Oo, pero depende sa schedule ng Blue Ribbon Committee. Alam niyo naman na napaka-busy ngayon ng Blue Ribbon. We don't know when yet. But it will come, don't worry.

Q: Ano po 'yung mga ni-raise niyo kanina sa hearing?

Serge: Over-priced. No bidding.

Q: San po located 'yung mga bridges?

Serge: All over the country. Kasi, in-order muna. Pagkatapos saka pinupuntahan ang mga mayor tapos tinatanong, "gusto mo ba ng bridge?" Ganun ang ginagawa nila. But the bridges are over-priced, double.

Q: Kelan po nangyari 'yun?

Serge: Most of them were ordered during the time of Gloria, 2003 to 2008. During the time of Secretary Ebdane. But this was under a Special President Bridges program. Nilagay dun sa Malacañang.

We ordered more than 3,000. Sa Mabey and Johnson pa lang, mga more than 1,200 na bridges na.

Over-priced sila. They cost only P33B, we paid P66B. Times 2 ang binayaran natin.

Q: Naitayo naman ang mga bridges na ito?

Serge: Some only. Meron pang iba diyan na hindi pa tapos.

Ang ginawa nila para hindi malaman ng taumbayan, para hindi malaman ng Congress, nag-order muna. They were loans. Nung nandito na, halimbawa merong nakatiwangwang dun sa Morong, meron sa Subic, meron sa Davao, lumalapit sila ngayon sa mga mayors at tsaka nagtatanong, "Kailangan mo ba ng bridge?" "Do you need a bridge?" Doon pa lang ilalagay sa budget para sa installation. 'Yun lang ang babayaran ng Philippine government. But, tapos na 'yung order. Dinedeliver na 'yung bridge.

Q: And we're paying for the loan?

Serge: Yes, up to now.

Q: Nag-accumulate na itong project?

Serge: Yes, over the years. Para akong nag-order ng 10,000 cell phones, nandun lang sa bodega ko. Pero hindi niyo alam na binabayaran na ng gobyerno iyan. Tapos saka ko kayo tatanungin, "Ilang cell phones ang kailangan niyo?"

Q: Hindi ba ganun ang foreign loan-assisted projects?

Serge: You usually get approva. Atsaka sinasabi sa public 'yan, hindi sinisikreto. You don't sign the contract in secret. You let the public know: "We are ordering 10,000 bridges." Wala eh, kasi walang bidding.

Q: Hindi po ba most foreign-assisted projects are done through negotiated contracts?

Serge: No, there are many types of foreign-assisted projects. ODA loans are government-to-government, you don't need bidding. Halimbawa, JICA, government-to-government 'yan. The government of Japan and the government of the Philippines. Pinapa-bid iyan sa mga local Japanese suppliers, dapat Japanese. Pero pinapa-bid iyan. Sumotomo, Marubeni, ganun... Dito, maski dun sa England, walang bidding. Diretso sa Mabey and Johnson, may ayusan na. Tapos ang Mabey and Johnson kukuha ng loan sa isang commercial bank, in this case, Deutsche Bank, eh hindi naman 'yun British bank...

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