BL.ORG Celebrates WB Decision to Sanction Erring Contractors

Quezon City, Philippines – The Bantay Lansangan (“Road Watch”) welcomes the World Bank's decision to bar firms found to have colluded in a Bank-financed road project. “The Bank's decision is the clearest indication of the Bank's resolute stance in the fight against corruption,” Bantay Lansangan Executive Director Vincent Lazatin said. Bantay Lansangan joins World Bank in this steadfast approach to combat corruption in the road sector. In a press release dated January 14, 2009, the Bank announced that it had permanently debarred E. C. de Luna Construction Corp. and its owner, Eduardo C. Luna, and suspended for varying lengths of time six other firms, for “engaging in collusive practices.” The six other firms are China Road and Bridge Corp. (barred for eight years), China State Construction Corp. and China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. (both barred for six years), China Geo-Engineering Corp. ( barred for five years), and Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction, Inc. (both Filipino firms which were barred for four years each). “The World Bank's action is very encouraging for us in the anticorruption community, especially in Bantay Lansangan (BL),” Pura Sumangil, Chair of BL, stated. The World Bank announcement moved national government agencies to seriously consider the Bank's findings for appropriate action. Lazatin stressed, “the Bank's findings warrant immediate, swift and decisive action from the government because in corruption, the biggest losers are the Filipino people who end up paying for overpriced and poorly built roads. We will closely monitor national government actions related to the World Bank findings.” Bantay Lansangan (Road Watch) is a partnership among government, private, and civil society stakeholders in the national road sector for the delivery of quality road services that are responsive to users’ needs, through the efficient and transparent use of public resources. Formed in 2007, the said initiative seeks to increase transparency and access to information on the one hand, as well as monitor DPWH performance in delivering national road services.