The last three years of my career was spent in one of the most prestigious heavy equipment companies in the Philippines. I was one of the managers of the company. Aside from dealing equipments with the private and government institutions, I have to oversee the delivered equipments, facilitate trainings for operators and mechanics. Usually, I talk to significant people to transact my business (congressmen, Governors, and Mayors the vice governors and vice mayors), who are usually in-charge of contracts and projects.
One of the episodes in my selling career that I will always remember was when I deal with a local government in Mindanao. The heavy equipment requirement involved a multi million peso government loan. If I remember it exactly, the loan amounts to PhP80M. The purchase requirement was to buy a fleet of various heavy equipments for construction.
After some times of requesting an appointment to talk with the person authorized to facilitate the transaction, I finally got an appointment to face him. The guy was a high ranking government official. He was young, brilliant and looks respectable. I feel good that the person I was going to talk to looks calm and descent. But to my surprise, just when I sat in front of him, handing to him my book bounded proposal, he directly asked me without hesitation.
"How much do you offer to us? Your competitor offered us 30% on Bulldozers, 20% on Graders and Rollers, and also with the back hoes..."
I was shocked!
During that time, a medium size brand new bulldozer fit for their needs costs around to 8 Million pesos the lowest. Backhoe that time costs around 4 to 5 Million. Twenty (20) % of 5 Million is P1, 000,000.00. Setting commission straight at Twenty percent of 80 Million loan, total kickback would be 16,000,000.00 PhP.
Unbelievable but that is true.
Who will pay the overpricing?
You must know that the heavy equipment company will not give what is asked by the buyer. Instead, the heavy equipment company will add 20 or 30% over and above the selling price. The moment the equipment is purchased, the public will be paying the cost and overpricing of the purchased equipments in forms of high taxes. That is the reason why the E-vat is imposed. E-vat will help expedite payment of the surcharges and overpricing. Do you realize why current prices of commodities are soaring high? Election is near. Next year the heavy equipment market will be in frenzy. I tell you...
Today, our government, even the president pledged to weed out corruption, but you will wonder why corruption on heavy equipments is not solved. When I researched the internet, I even learned that the guy that I was dealing with became one of the president’s trusted guy after his term in his region. He was promoted maybe because he was "doing his job well" during his term.
The Culprit
- We are too passive
We don’t care what’s going on. Purchase of new equipment in your area does not necessarily mean progress. You need to explore and know the implication behind it. Always think that before government officials shows care, they care their pocket first. - We refuse to see the bigger picture
We sold our votes during election. How do they get back the money they gave to the voters? Of course by corruption. How can a candidate get back of his millions expenses during campaign with the limited number of years in service? We should elect people to the post who can bring us to the right vision for the Philippines. - We are too contented, No vision for a better Philippines
We need to rise-up, we need to awaken ourselves. We need to realize that there are still generations behind us. We need to convince ourselves that the kind of Philippines we’ll be leaving to the younger generations depends on our assertion and our labor. Yes, God will always help us, but how can he defend us if we refuse to protect ourselves?
We need to join together; we need to join our hands, our minds and effort.
The Petition for Philippine Access to Information Law is a good move for All Filipino citizens to be adequately informed about the operations and policies of the Philippine government. Freedom of Information laws promotes transparent governance by ensuring access to information or records. Join NOW!
By: Headquarterman
2 comments:
I suggest that the Legal counsel/group of Team RP spells out a clear-cut distinction between PUBLIC and GOVERNMENT information and records.
My appreciation is that there are already enabling laws regarding the ACCESS of the general population to PUBLIC records, i.e., for as long as classified as PUBLIC information or records, anyone from the general population should be allowed access, AND if barred by anyone, then filing of a legal suit shall be entertained at the Fiscal's office.
On the other hand, GOVERNMENT information and records have at least two (2) categories:
1) those which are considered as OPEN for ACCESS by the general population;
2) those which are considered as "CLASSIFIED", i.e., subject to the Access LEVELS of AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL even within the government entity/department/agency/institution
3) those which are considered as "RESTRICTED" due to potential risks to National Security [which is what has been invoked time and again by govt. officials who are into COVERT operations, which is not only in fiction novels]
4) those which are considered as "Non-Existent" for obvious reasons like unconstitutional, criminal in intent/purpose,
5) those which are "Absolutely to be Denied"
Accordingly, which categories of GOVERNMENT information and records are to be covered by the proposed "Philippine Freedom Of Information Act"?
JMCN
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