ONLY four out of the 15 top contractors President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. listed with anomalous projects have no derogatory records, based on the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Contractors’ Performance Evaluation (CPE).

The contractors’ CPE came up following Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s directive to suspend all locally funded flood control projects awarded to the leading contractors, in preparation for the creation of an Independent Commission.

The commission will investigate non-existent and flawed flood control projects separately from the ongoing inquiry of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House tri-panel infrastructure committee.

Based on research by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the list of contractors found with satisfactory ratings includes Centerways Construction and Development Inc., Eight J’s Construction Services, Royal Crown Monarch Construction and Supplies, and Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.

Contractors with poor and unsatisfactory CPE ratings include Legacy Construction Corp., and the companies owned by Sarah and Pacifico Discaya, Alpha and Omega General Contractors and St. Timothy Construction Corp.

The CPE is used to check if a contractor complies with all the requirements needed to finish a project on time.

It is also used as a basis for determining if payment should be made for a project.

According to the Sumbong sa Pangulo report, Sunwest, Inc., owned by Ako Bicol Party-list Rizaldy Co, tops the list with 79 projects with a total value of P10,147,835,285.70, during the first three years of the Marcos administration.

Legacy Construction Corp. had P9,558,821,107.67 from 133 projects; EGB Construction Corp. with P7,789,080,188.90 (95 projects); QM Builders with P7,674,023,245.78 (96 projects); Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. with P7,489,133,751.70; St. Timothy Construction Corp. had P7,324,820,807.62 (105 projects);

Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., P5,998705,617.57 (88 projects); Royal Crown Monarch, P5,794,777,137.84 (60 projects); Equi-Parco Construction Co., P5,771,438,121,31 (37 projects); Centerways Construction and Development Inc., P5,444,745,973,18 (87 projects); MG Samidan Construction, P5,258,979,677.17 (60 projects); L. R. Tiqui Builders, Inc., P5,225,681,315.28 (59 projects); Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp., P4,856,993,286,23 (61 projects); Road Edge Trading & Development, P4,628,050,538.92 (59 projects); and Eight J’s Construction Services, P4,510,068,719.40 (50 projects).

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) earlier called on the President to include a workers’ representative in the Independent Commission to ensure its investigation is independent, transparent and grounded in the realities of those most affected.

“Without workers, we already know how this ends: commissions, packed with officials and professionals who churn out thick reports and hold endless hearings, deliver only limited justice, and so, corruption survives,” TUCP said.

4 of 15 contractors on Marcos list have clean records – DPWH, This news data comes from:http://www.gangzhifhm.com

It said a workers’ representative is not symbolic but the only safeguard that the commission will be accountable to the people whose taxes are being plundered.

Another labor group, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), said on Sunday that the forfeiture law allows the government to confiscate the money and mansions of corrupt politicians, DPWH executives, and their business cohorts even without convicting them first of plunder.

“We’ve already used this in the case of General Carlos Garcia, where the Supreme Court upheld the forfeiture of hundreds of millions in unexplained wealth. That shows we can recover stolen assets without waiting for a criminal conviction, which demands proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In forfeiture, the standard is lower — substantial evidence, so the forfeiture is faster and more effective,” FFW President Sonny Matula said.

The Garcia Formula, he pointed out, can be replicated against plunderers, who are disguised as protectors of the rights of taxpayers.

Matula said Republic Act (RA) 6770, or The Ombudsman Act of 1989, can prosecute graft and plunder cases and request forfeiture of assets.

The Sandiganbayan, a special anti-graft court, can order the forfeiture of unlawfully acquired wealth in criminal and civil cases.

Matula pointed out that RA 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), as amended, authorizes the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze, investigate, and cause forfeiture of assets linked to crimes like plunder, graft and corruption, including bank deposits, investments and properties.

4 of 15 contractors on Marcos list have clean records – DPWH

The UN Convention Against Corruption, ratified by the Philippines, obliges the country to adopt effective measures for asset recovery and cooperate with other states in returning stolen assets, he said.

It also bolsters the legal framework for cross-border recovery of plundered wealth.