By Macon Ramos-Araneta
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri recommended to Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno to get contractors from other countries other than China.
Instead, he said the government should get contractors from South Korea, Japan or Vietnam because these countries are also capable of building huge structures.
Aside from this, Zubiri said supplies can be had from India.
“It makes no sense for us to give billions of pesos to a Chinese contractor (that is) state-owned (and) will (give) profits to China,” said Zubiri.
Zubiri implied the profits will go back to fund the Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Parang niluluto natin yung sarili sa sariling mantika, ika nga,” he said during the Senate budget briefing.
He also asked if Chinese state-owned contractors are in the Philippines, being paid by Filipino taxpayers’ money. He also said that members of the Filipino Coast Guard and Navy are also tax payers. And they directly suffer harassment and bullying from China.
Zubiri related he already talked to Transportation Sec. Jaime Bautista who told him that all Chinese contracts in the country failed in their projects like the North-South-Railway under the previous administration. And that it was just abandoned by China.
Responding to Zubiri, Diokno said if Chinese contractors will be banned from participating in pipeline projects of the national government, it may delay the implementation of official development assistance (ODA) projects from bilateral and multilateral ODA partners alike.
Diokno explained it may affect projects with multiple country participation including China as a member the ADB, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank.
He also said procurement of locally-funded projects and even PPP implementation of the main contractors, suppliers, or subcontractors would be adversely affected.
“And of course we have to shift to the financing for those projects that have been requested from China. “
“I think you’ll agree with me. We’re running out of — also private sector workers. And we need foreign workers, maybe Indian workers, Chinese workers,” said Diokno.
But Zubiri asserted that “we all have to stand up with what’s happening in West Philippine Sea. You have to make a policy decision.”
“We also have to stand up for our troops in the WPS, they should not be allowed to be bullied. I think we all agree with that. So, again ibabalik ko ho yung statement bakit natin gigisahin ang ating sarili sa ating sariling mantika,” said the Senate leader.