Sunday, July 4, 2021

Yumaman sa Davao: Trillanes accuses Duterte, Bong Go of plunder over P6B contracts bagged by senator’s kin

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has accused President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go of plunder over P6.6 billion worth of government contracts bagged by a construction company owned by the lawmaker’s father.

Citing documents from the Commission on Audit (COA), Trillanes said in a video uploaded on Youtube Monday (July 5) that CLTG Builders owned by Go’s father, Desiderio Lim, won 125 government infrastructure projects in Davao City and Davao region worth P4.89 billion from March 25 to May 2018.

In 2017 alone, Trillanes said CLTG Builders bagged 27 government contracts worth P3.2 billion in the Dutertes’ bailiwick.

Some of the biggest projects undertaken by the firm were road widening projects that cost as much as P251 million pesos, the former senator added.

Alfrego Builders & Supply, which is owned by Go’s half-brother Alfredo Amero Go, bagged 59 government infrastructure projects worth P1.74 billion June 2007 to July 2018, according to COA records obtained by Trillanes.

The former senator said Alfrego Builders won 23 projects worth P1.3 billion in 2018 alone. Like CLTG, these contracts were in Davao City or Davao region only.

Trillanes said the amount of projects won by the construction companies owned by Go’s family members totaled P6.6 billion. Of this amount, P1.5 billion allegedly came from contracts approved during Duterte’s term as Davao City mayor while P5.1 billion worth of projects were bagged in the first two years of Duterte as President.

Ito ay maliwanag na patong-patong na kaso ng plunder na umaabot sa P6.6 billion pesos,” Trillanes said.

The former senator said the CLTG Builders and Alfrego couldn’t have undertaken big-ticket construction projects because they only had a “B” license. However, he claimed they were able to circumvent the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) requirement by entering into joint ventures with firms with an “AAA” license.

Trillanes said a scrutiny of the companies’ contracts with DPWH showed CLTG Builders and Alfrego were in charge of the projects, as shown by the signatures of Lim and Go’s half-brother on the documents.

Watch Trillanes’ video below: