Erwin Tulfo backs PCAB purge, death penalty for corrupt contractors

Senator Erwin Tulfo said he supports the major revamp within the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) amid the investigation into the questionable flood control projects across the country.

On Monday, newly minted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon announced a "sweeping revamp" within PCAB immediately.

"Everyone should be fired, including the board of directors. You should not be allowed to be a contractor because you're on the accreditation board, and then you're also a contractor? What kind of nonsense is that?" Tulfo said.

Two to three members of the PCAB were reported to have secured government contracts while they were serving on the board.

EGB Construction Corp., owned by engineer Erni Baggao, and AN Escalante Construction Inc., owned by Arthur Escalante, have bagged government projects while sitting on PCAB, which licenses government contractors.

EGB Construction Corp. was one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in August as having cornered the bulk of the country's flood control projects from 2022 to 2025.

"That's why they can't regulate those contractors because they are also contractors, right? How can you catch a thief when you're also a thief?" the senator added.

Tulfo said the prosecution of those involved in the flood control project mess will be in the hands of the independent commission, which will be established by Marcos.

"In PCAB, there should be no contractors there, so this mess won't happen again because it happened again, like deja vu with Janet Napoles. But that time, she was just one person, now, there are so many contractors," he said.

"That's why we really have to come up with a law to stop this. If we have to recommend the death penalty, then let's do that so they will learn. Putting them in prison is not enough," he added.