Press Release
February 11, 2009

CHIZ BUCKS CALLS TO PROBE WORLD BANK

Senator Chiz Escudero on Wednesday rejected calls by some administration allies for an investigation into the manner by which the World Bank conducted its probe on the alleged bid-rigging activities of some contractors involved in foreign-funded road projects.

"It is the World Bank who exposed the supposed anomaly. We should focus out attention more on the message rather than the one who delivered it. Investigating the messenger would be inimically inappropriate," Escudero said.

The opposition senator had met with World Bank procurement officials last week in Washington to request for an official copy of the report on the alleged collusion of Filipino and Chinese construction firms in a road project in the country.

The WB had blacklisted seven contractors, three of which are local firms, because of alleged bid-bidding for the WB-funded phase one of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP).

Escudero said that Congress is now investigating the allegations made in the report, where names of high government officials and key public personalities have been dragged into the controversy.

"The inquiry right now is into the contents of the report. The allegations made by the WB are very serious and can adversely affect our country's status in the international arena. We should take a look at the assertions of the WB first before looking at the one who discovered them," Escudero said.

Escudero, who is chairmen of the joint congressional oversight committee on the Government Procurement Act, has set for February 17, next Tuesday, its first hearing on possible amendments to the government procurement law.

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