Answers sought from contractor accreditation body

President Marcos wants the agency tasked with accrediting contractors to answer allegations that it was selling licenses to help blacklisted firms get back in business and even bag government contracts.

- NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS and MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

This was according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, citing information relayed to him by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III indicating the President's wish for relevant authorities to look into the activities of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB).

"As we speak, I know the President wants to look into this, as shared by Sen. Sotto after their discussions the other night," Lacson said in Filipino over dwIZ yesterday. Lacson cited complaints from contractors that PCAB was "peddling accreditation." Sotto, in his discussions with the President, also brought up contractors' complaint that PCAB appeared to be offering accreditation "for sale."

Lacson flagged instances where contractors would lend out their licenses to others who then would subcontract projects repeatedly until accountability becomes blurred.

"Now, if a project gets unfinished, who gets the flak? It's of course the owner of the license recorded in the contract," he said.

He lamented that the practice persists because PCAB continues to automatically renew licenses every year despite clear violations by applicants.

"If the PCAB is strict and is aware of violation by a contractor, it should blacklist the contractor at once and its license not renewed anymore," Lacson said, noting that the board appeared to have developed a "fraternity" with contractors.

"So if there are anomalies, the problem is when contractors and PCAB directors have already fraternized, making the renewal of licenses automatic despite numerous violations," he said.