OPINION on Government links to WORLD BANK issues!!!

[baby_grace]

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There is not much clarity about this report of the World Bank regarding this bid rigging controversy. Maybe when the WB executives are summoned then we can know the whole of the report and not only a part and parcel as shown by Ping Lacson.

It is hard to conclude an issue when the facts are vague, unclear, and seems to be for propaganda only. The investigation is ongoing so it's better to be fair in terms of making wrong assumptions on the personalities dragged into the mess.

[baby_grace]

As I understand the turnout of events regarding this matter, it was not the World Bank who implicated the First Gentleman on the bid rigging issue. It was the Honorable (supposed to be) Senator Ping Lacson who dragged the FG on this mess. He showed a part of the report which is not yet known to be genuine or not.

As of now, the WB representatives are being summoned to shed light on the issue. It's unfair is a person is judged without sufficient proof.

[ceden_yu143]

pro i dnt think so ang WB mohatag ug wrong allegations towards us..knowing nga kusgan sad raba ta na nasod gamay..

pro i think naa jud point ang WB and naa sad sila gpakita na evidences....ang ato lang is wait sa investigation pro di man sad bogo ang WB bah nga mokatag ug ing.ani nga issue...


let da truth prevail jud...

[j-e-p-o-y-z]

Nahhh.... Pinaka ka wais na ang mga arroyo. Tan awa, basta modako na nga issue. Sudlan nasad na nila ug lain nga magkalisid ang Pilipinas. Pariha before naa issue si GMA, ang ila gipikhan ang bugas. Unya kadtong padulong siya impeach kay ang Gasolina gipatas an sad pag maayo. Karon unsa nasad kaha ilahang tirahan para mawala na ang issue sa WB.

[amingb]

Our probe process is very thorough - World Bank | The Philippine Star >> News >> Headlines

Grabi na ni gi binaboy nata ug maau aning mga tawhana ... nawala na respectar aning Presidente nato grabi ta gi binaboy ug maau ... babayi raba na siya .... tabangan na nato aron siya napod ang ma baboy.

Imagina ninyo ug wala ni mga tawhana nga nag binaboy nato unsa kaha ta karon.

Makalagot kaau simple ra kaau ug TUBAG ang mga kawatan naa mo EBEDINSIYA .. BUESIT

[HenryLiwanag]

Chronology of the World Bank project controversy in RP
Updated February 10, 2009 01:46 AM

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=439065

[godwhacker]

So it was just hearsay after all.


Miriam: WB admits it has no proof vs Mike Arroyo, others
SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV
02/15/2009 | 01:18 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank has admitted it has no evidence on the involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and other personalities in the alleged irregularities surrounding the road projects funded by the Bank, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said Sunday.

Santiago, who chairs the Senate Economic Affairs Committee looking into the blacklisting of Filipino contractors by the World Bank, said that WB country director Bert Hofman sent him a letter saying that the agency made no judgment on whether crime or violations of Philippine laws were committed.

The report was handed to Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez last November 2007.

“Noong Valentine’s weekend, nakatanggap ako ng sulat galing sa country director ng World Bank. [Ang sabi niya] ‘yung pinadala naming referral report sa Finance secretary at sa Ombudsman, ‘di namin sinabi kung may krimen o may paglabag ng batas,” Santiago told dzBB radio in an interview.

“Inamin ng World Bank na wala silang ebidensiya sa krimen at lalo nang wala silang ebidensiya sa mga tinutukoy nila na na-implicate. Ang sinasabi ng World Bank, ‘di naman kami sigurado na kasangkot sila,” Santiago added.

[“Over the Valentine’s weekend, I received a letter from the WB’s country director. He said that in the referral report they had given to the Finance secretary and to the Ombudsman, they never said that crimes or violations of laws were committed. The World Bank also said they had no evidence on the commission of crime and evidence against those implicated in the referral report.”]

The said WB report cited testimonies of witnesses implicating Mr. Arroyo, two former congressmen, and other Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, who all denied taking part in the alleged bribery and collusion in the bidding process for road projects under the National Roads Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP-1).

Executive session

At the resumption of the Senate panel hearing last Thursday, Santiago moved for the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum against Hofman for snubbing the inquiry. A visibly irate Santiago had also chided the Bank for its refusal to hand over its report to the Philippine Senate.

The World Bank, however, defended its decision to keep its report confidential, saying its Referral Report, which contains a summary of its Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) on the alleged collusion between the firms, could not be used for any criminal or administrative proceedings.

In the radio interview, Santiago said that after Hofman sent the letter, the Senate will hold an executive session to discuss the matter on the issuance of a subpoena against Hofman.

“Mapag-uusapan ‘yan ng mga senador kasi kung may mahalagang bagay, ang dapat ang chairperson ay magkonsulta sa mga kasamahan niya [If an important development comes up, the Senate panel chairperson should always consult with his or her colleagues to discuss the next moves],” Santiago said.

She added that the executive session would likewise discuss whether the Senate will divulge to the public the contents of a compilation of documents recently submitted by Gutierrez.

To recall, the Ombudsman gave the panel last Thursday a “thick folder from the World Bank” containing documents on the road projects under the NRIMP, but Gutierrez requested that the committee examine the documents in an executive session because of Bank’s stand that the documents are “strictly confidential.”

But in the interview, Santiago said she is inclined to supersede the World Bank’s confidentiality clause.

“May kapangyarihan ba ang Senado na i-override o lampasan ang sinasabi ng World Bank? Ang posisyon ko, may kapangyarihan ang Senado [Can the Senate override the confidentiality demanded by the World Bank? I think the Senate can],” Santiago said.

Santiago vs Lacson

Santiago also lashed back at Senator Panfilo Lacson who earlier questioned the conduct of the hearing last Thursday.

“Di naman siya abugado, gusto niya turuan niya ako. Di magandang ugali ‘yung tuturuan mo ang chairperson mo sa gagawin, lalo na kung wala ka namang background sa batas [He’s not even a lawyer and yet he wants to outsmart me. He’s not supposed to dictate to his chairperson on what to do, especially because he does not even have any background in law],” Santiago said.

Last Thursday, Lacson said the inquiry focused too much on the absence of Mr. Arroyo instead of determining whether collusion and corruption occurred in the bidding and implementation of infrastructure projects in the country.

Lacson also questioned why the hearing lasted for only three hours when the Senate’s hearings on issues that are of national importance last almost an entire day. But Santiago said the three-hour hearing was enough, “otherwise it will be counter productive.” - GMANews.TV

[porbidaman]

yup, bilib ko sa WB. daghan na kaaio na ug issue si FG da

[KE-25]

No suprise ... Although we all know corruption is wrong, WB shouldn't have started a fire without evidence. I find it odd that WB sends a letter giving an opinion rather than proof. Go figure ...

[babyvenice101]

tuo ko world bank... kadudahan gyud FG..