THE PHILIPPINE Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) has suspended approvals and revocations of contractor licenses after its board members resigned, as the government intensifies its probe of irregularities in multibillion-peso flood control projects.
“The board is still functioning but those that require board approval, they cannot do,” Quezon City Rep. Keith Micah D.L. Tan told the House of Representatives plenary on Monday. “Approval of license, accreditation and revocation are not being done.”
The lawmaker said PCAB is investigating 16 contractors linked to the flood control scheme.
The review focuses on potential violations of Republic Act 4566 or the Contractors’ License Law, which requires contractors to secure licenses before operating. He said the agency’s limited manpower has slowed the probe.
The controversy stems from the Marcos administration’s scrutiny of some P500 billion in flood control projects since 2022. The President earlier identified contractors that allegedly cornered about P100 billion worth of projects, raising concerns over kickbacks and anomalous bidding.
Documents related to PCAB’s probe have been submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, Mr. Tan said.
He added that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which oversees PCAB, has a shortlist of potential replacements for its board, though no appointments have been made.
“As of now, there is no one designated to man the board. It remains vacant,” he said.
The flood control controversy has triggered separate investigations by Congress, the Ombudsman and the administration’s newly formed Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
The probes have also revived concerns over “insertions” in the national budget, after senators were accused of pushing billions in allocations for public works.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has vowed to block questionable projects and reallocate funds toward social services.
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) earlier said it is studying a more stringent licensing regime for contractors to deter corruption in public works.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque said a fact-finding body created by the DTI would let the agency look at what reforms should be put in place to improve the licensing process for contractors, which is overseen by the PCAB. — Adrian H. Halili
