‘Kakaiba ang level ng corruption ngayon…Lawmakers get 35% to 40% Kickback’ - Magalong on alleged corruption in government projects

Baguio City, Philippines - In a chilling revelation on what he calls a “highly organized” and deeply rooted corruption network in government infrastructure projects, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has exposed what he believes is a structural scheme where lawmakers receive kickbacks of up to 40% from public contracts.  

In a recent interview with One News, Magalong described the level of corruption in the current system as ‘beyond one’s imagination’, where certain government officials and contractors allegedly work hand-in-hand to manipulate project bids and siphon huge sums of public funds. 

“Kakaiba ang level ng corruption ngayon,” added Magalong.

According to the Mayor, the alleged scheme has become so systemic that the standard ‘cut’ given to some lawmakers from government-funded projects reportedly ranges from 35 to 40 percent, a figure that, if proven true, drains significant amounts from the actual project implementation, resulting in substandard infrastructure and delayed services. 

Magalong supports bill barring government officials’ relatives from public contracts

Reacting to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s plan to file a bill that would prohibit relatives of public officials (up to the fourth degree) from entering into contracts with the government, Magalong voiced his strong support for it, calling it ‘long overdue’. 

“Matagal na dapat itong batas na to…Hindi lang dapat ipinapanukala, kailangan itong maipatupad,” he said. 

Senator Escudero proposed the legislation to dismantle the conflict of interest that persists in many government procurement processes, where relatives of officials allegedly benefit from preferential treatment or insider access. 

In connection to this, Magalong seeks a third-party audit in the building of the rockshed at Millsite, Camp 4, Kennon Road, which was affected by the recent typhoon “Emong.”

Emong triggered a soil erosion that caused the parts of the foundation of the rockshed to collapse. 

The mayor made the call after he visited the site on July 27, which he said was to prove transparency and give the public the real condition of the project, adding that the rockshed should be a “Class A” level, especially as the fund allocated was enough to do so.

With this, Magalong suggested that Kennon Road be privatized for better management, saying, "For us to maintain it, we should privatize it and prevent it from becoming a money-making structure”.  

"Kailangang magkaroon ng seryosong pag-uusap kasama ang matataas na opisyal ng DPWH upang matukoy ang kakulangan,” he added in a separate interview.