ROXAS: BE VIGILANT AGAINST MIDNIGHT DEALS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today called the public to be constantly vigilant, as the minions of President Arroyo could now be crafting and preparing "midnight deals" in preparation for the 2010 synchronized elections.

He said the alleged rigged bidding at the National Irrigation Administration for heavy equipment worth P1.4 billion could have been one of these "last two minutes" deals had he not found and exposed this at the Senate floor last week.

"Nagtatrabaho na ang mga sindikato. Malapit na ang eleksyon, (The syndicates are now engaged, the elections are coming nearer)," he said.

"Sa panahong ito, dapat patuloy ang pagbabantay natin para hindi magamit ang kaban ng bayan para sa interes ng mga magnanakaw sa gobyerno (We should be more vigilant in these times so that the people's money will not be used for the interests of the crooks in government)," he said.

He said that with the next elections just a year away, and being the last year of the Arroyo government, corrupt officials, especially those planning on running for elective posts, are sure to be on a rampage to ink midnight and lopsided deals to prop their personal coffers or even their campaign kitties.

He cited the P728 million fertilizer fund diversion scam, which was plotted in 2003 and carried out during the first few months of 2004, the year when Mrs. Arroyo got her own six-year mandate to the presidency despite serious accusations of wide-scale cheating and the use of public funds by administration candidates.

"Kailangang paigtingin natin ang pagbabantay. Siguradong may mga niluluto na naman ang mga kawatan sa gobyerno (We have to be very vigilant. I am sure the syndicates of corruption in government are again plotting a kill)," he stressed.

"Huwag nating kalimutan ang fertilizer fund scam. Hindi na nga nakinabang ang mga magsasaka rito, nagamit pa para sa kampanya ng mga alipores ni GMA (Let us not forget the fertilizer fund scam. We have proven that farmers did not benefit from this but instead this was used to fund the campaign of GMA allies), he said.

The Ilonggo senator sought an inquiry into the bidding for NIA's purchase of P1.4 billion worth of heavy equipment, where two bidders were allegedly favored despite clear signs that these should be disqualified. While contracts have yet to be awarded, Roxas said the deal would have been consummated had he not discovered this.

"Kung hindi natin nakita ito, sigurado daang milyong piso na naman ang mananakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Mahalagang malaman natin kung sino ang mga makikinabang sana sa scam na ito kung hindi ito naunsyami (If we did not discover this, I am sure hundreds of millions would have again been stolen from the public coffers. It is important that we find out who would have benefited from this if it was not discovered)," he said.