VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwh-gEqNYGE

Kami si Pacifico F. Vizcaya II and Sardara Ruena Vizcaya, mag-asawang nga sa tamang edad, barehong Pilipino.

Noon 2003, kaming mag-asawa ay pinayun ang kumpanya na pinangalan namin Gerard Construction.

Nakakuha ng contractors license at nagsimula na lumahok sa mga pribadong construction projects. Number two, kinalounan nagsimula na rin kami na lumahok sa mga government projects. Natukasan namin na hindi naging madali ang trabaho sa mga government projects. Madalas mahirap ang paniningin ng bayad at matagal bago kami mabayaran ng gobyerno. … At inalok kami magkaroon ng proyekto sa national level gamit ang aming lisensya. Number five, ipinakilala niya ang sarili niya na nagtatrabaho para sa isang congressman at nangakong kapag nagbigay kami ng pera ay makakakuha kami ng proyekto. … Sa kasamaang palad niloko lang niya kami, naglaho siya dala ang pera namin mag-asawa.

Nagpunta kami sa DPWH para i-report ang nangyari pero hindi nila ito pinansin. Kahit ganon hindi kami sumuko. Gusto ko pa rin gawin ng tama ang negosyo kaya patuloy kami sumasali sa mga biddings sa gobyerno. … Para maipakita ang kakayahan ng aming kumpanya na may maayos na paggagawa, kalidad na risulta at natatapos sa tamang oras. Nagkaroon ng konting tagumpay ang St. Gerard Construction. Kaya minabuti namin mag-asawa na mag-expand at bumuon ng ibang kumpanya tulad ng Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation.

Ngunit nung nagsimula ang makilala ang St. Gerard Construction, dumating naman ang panibagong pagsubok. Unti-unti nagsilapitan ang district engineers at regional directors ng DPWH at chiefs of staff ng mga mambabatas na nag-aalok ng mga proyektong sinasabi nilang pondo ng mambabatas.

Nung una, sinubukan namin labanan ang mga ito sa pamamagitan ng pagre-report sa DPWH at pagpapadyaryo ng mga tiwaling kawani ng gobyerno. Subalit hindi sila natitinag sa mga ito at hindi na makakakuha ng kahit anong proyekto. Hindi namin ginusto kailanman na mapasama sa ganitong sistema pero kailangan namin magpatuloy para sa pamilya at mga empleyado namin.

Dahil naiipit na ang aming negosyo, lumulubog na kami sa lumalaking utang ng kumpanya at peligro sa buhay ng aming pamilya, napilitan kaming makisama sa kalakaran kahit labag sa aming kalooban.

Number 16, paulit-ulit kami ginamit ng mga nasusubok sa sistemang ito. Wala kami magawa dahil kung hindi kami makikisama, gagawan nila ng problema ang project na na-award sa amin sa pamamagitan ng mutual termination o pagkakaroon ng right-of-way problem na parehong nagdudulot ng hindi matuloy ang implementation ng mga proyekto. At kumuha ng bahagi nila sa halaga ng proyekto.

Ang hinihingi nilang porsyento ay hindi bababa sa 10% at umabot pa sa 25% na naging kondisyon upang hindi maipit ang implementation ng kontrata. Sa kanila ay sina Terrence Calatrava, former Undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant of the Visayas of the Philippines, Kong Roman Romulo of Pasig City, Kong Jojo Ang of Uzbag-Ilongo Partylist, Congressman Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City, Congressman Marcelino “Marci” Teodoro of Marikina, Congressman Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte, Pulacan, Congressman Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon, Congressman Benjamin “Benji” Agarao Jr., Congressman Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel of Anwaray Partylist, Cong Leo de Tariella of Occidental Mindoro, Cong Marvin Rillo of Quezon City, Cong Teodoro Jarezco of Aklan, Cong Antonieta Yudela of Zamboanga-Cebugay, Cong Dean Asistio of Caloocan, Cong Marivico Pilar of Quezon City.

Ang President ay ipinipilit sa amin bilang karaniwang kalakaran na wala akong kakayanang tanggihan. Ilan sa kanila ay sina District Engineer Manny Bulusan of DPWH North Manila, District Engineer Elgardo Sipingol of DPWH Bulacan, District Engineer Michael Rosaria of DPWH Quezon 2. Karamihan sa mga kawani ng DPWH na nabanggit sa itaas ay paulit-ulit na binabanggit na ang delivery ng pera ay para sa kaibigan ko na dapat at least 25%.

Sa itaas, nabanggit ang pangalan ni SP Martin Romualdez bilang kanyang malapit na kaibigan. Sa tuwing aminam kami sa Wine Story, BGC at S. Charly Lamol, sinasabi ni Cong Rillo na lahat ng kanyang request para sa pondo ay galing pa mismo sa unprogrammed funds at insertion na inaaprobahan ni SP. Si Cong Jojo Ang naman lagi rin binabanggit na lahat ng projects sa kanya ay papondo ni SP at kaibigan ko.

Mataas ang hinihingi sa project, hindi naman lahat ng pera ay para sa kanya kundi para kay SP at kaibigan ko. Sa 25, si District Engineer Aristotle Ramos ang sumunod na nagpakilala na bagman ni Cong Roman Romulo kung saan 30% ang kanyang hinihingi ay para kay Cong Roman Romulo. Sinabihan ko si D.E. Ramos na masyado namang mataas, ngunit sinabi niya na walang magagawa dito dahil pondo ito galing sa unprogrammed funds at insertion galing sa taas.

Sa ilang pagkakataon, ang mga politiko ay personal na inabutan ng halaga ayon sa hinihingi nilang porsyento mula sa proyekto. Ang pagbabayad na ito ay hindi naman kagustuhan kundi isang hakbang na ginawa namin dahil sa matinding panggigipit. Ilan sa kanila ay sina Kong Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel of Anwaray Partylist, Cong Eleandro Jesus Madroña of Romblon, Cong Benjamin “Benji” Agarao Jr.

Bagamat naging matinding pagsubok ang kabawasan ng pondo na nakalaan sa proyekto, pilit at matapat naming sinusunod ang bawat spesipikasyon na nakasaad sa program of works na nakasaad sa proyekto ng DPWH. Nakakasiguro kami na nagawa namin ng maayos at matapat ang bahagi o phase ng proyekto na na-award sa amin. Sa katunayan, hindi kami mababayaran ng DPWH kung hindi ito dumaan at pumasa sa maraming material testing na naaayon sa design ng DPWH. Ina-assess at ini-inspect ng DPWH ang bawat proyekto base sa natapos na parte o accomplishment.

Napilitan kami na i-absorb ang kabawasan na ito na nagdulot ng maliit na kita o pagkalugi sa ilang projects. Para makabawi, dinadamihan namin ang partisipasyon sa mga projects. Kailangan kami gumawa ng girls projects at masusi kami na i-inspect sa lahat ng aming mga natapos na projects.

Handa po kaming tumistigo ng walang pilit at kusang-loob bilang state witness at sabihin ang lahat ng nangyayaring katiwalian ng Kamara, DPWH, at iba pang mga kawani ng gobyerno upang gawin ang tama. At kay President Bongbong Marcos para sa proteksyon at seguridad ng aming pamilya.

Ang salaysay na ito ay kusang-loob namin ginawa at walang sinumang pumilit na gawin ito. Sa katotohanan ng lahat ay nilagdaan namin ang salaysay na ito ng kusang-loob at walang pumipilit.

———————–

ENGLISH VERSION TRANSCRIBED BY CHATGPT:

We are Pacifico F. Vizcaya II and Sardara Ruena Vizcaya, a married couple of proper age, both Filipinos.

In 2003, we, as husband and wife, established a company we named Gerard Construction.

We secured a contractor’s license and began participating in private construction projects. Number two, eventually we also started participating in government projects. We discovered that working on government projects was not easy. Payments were often difficult to collect, and it took a long time before the government paid us. … And we were offered to have a project at the national level using our license. Number five, he introduced himself as working for a congressman and promised that if we gave money, we would get a project. … Unfortunately, he only deceived us, and disappeared with our money.

We went to the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) to report what happened, but they ignored us. Even so, we did not give up. I still wanted to run the business the right way, so we continued joining government biddings. … To show the capability of our company to produce proper workmanship, quality results, and projects finished on time. St. Gerard Construction had some small successes. That is why we, as a couple, decided to expand and form another company, the Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation.

But when St. Gerard Construction began to gain recognition, a new challenge came. Little by little, district engineers and regional directors of the DPWH, as well as chiefs of staff of lawmakers, began approaching us, offering projects they said were funded by legislators.

At first, we tried to fight this by reporting it to the DPWH and having corrupt government personnel exposed in the newspapers. But they were undeterred, and as a result, we could no longer secure any projects. We never wanted to be involved in this system, but we had to continue for the sake of our family and employees.

As our business became cornered, sinking into growing company debts and facing risks to our family’s safety, we were forced to go along with the system even against our will.

Number 16, we were repeatedly used by those entrenched in this system. We had no choice, because if we did not go along, they would create problems for the projects awarded to us, either through mutual termination or by creating right-of-way problems—both preventing the projects from being implemented. And they would still take their share from the value of the project.

The percentage they demanded was never less than 10% and went up to 25%, which became the condition to prevent obstruction of the contract’s implementation. Among them were Terrence Calatrava, former Undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant of the Visayas of the Philippines; Congressman Roman Romulo of Pasig City; Congressman Jojo Ang of Uzbag-Ilongo Partylist; Congressman Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City; Congressman Marcelino “Marci” Teodoro of Marikina; Congresswoman Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte, Pulacan; Congressman Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon; Congressman Benjamin “Benji” Agarao Jr.; Congressman Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel of Anwaray Partylist; Congressman Leo de Tariella of Occidental Mindoro; Congressman Marvin Rillo of Quezon City; Congressman Teodoro Jarezco of Aklan; Congresswoman Antonieta Yudela of Zamboanga-Cebugay; Congressman Dean Asistio of Caloocan; Congressman Marivico Pilar of Quezon City.

The President was imposed on us as part of the usual arrangement that I had no power to refuse. Among them were District Engineer Manny Bulusan of DPWH North Manila; District Engineer Elgardo Sipingol of DPWH Bulacan; District Engineer Michael Rosaria of DPWH Quezon 2. Most of the DPWH officials mentioned above repeatedly said that the delivery of money was for “my friend” and should be at least 25%.

Above, the name of Speaker Martin Romualdez was mentioned as his close friend. Whenever we dined at Wine Story, BGC and S. Charly Lamol, Congressman Rillo would say that all his funding requests came directly from unprogrammed funds and insertions approved by the Speaker. Congressman Jojo Ang also constantly said that all of his projects were funded by the Speaker and “my friend.”

The demands for project shares were high—not all the money was for him, but also for the Speaker and “my friend.” In one case, District Engineer Aristotle Ramos later introduced himself as the bagman of Congressman Roman Romulo, where the 30% he demanded was supposedly for Congressman Romulo. I told D.E. Ramos that the demand was too high, but he said nothing could be done because the funds came from unprogrammed funds and insertions from higher up.

In several instances, politicians personally received amounts corresponding to the percentages they demanded from the projects. These payments were not our choice but steps we took due to intense pressure. Among them were Congressman Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel of Anwaray Partylist, Congressman Eleandro Jesus Madroña of Romblon, and Congressman Benjamin “Benji” Agarao Jr.

Even though the reduction of funds allocated to the projects was a severe challenge, we diligently and honestly complied with every specification in the program of works set by the DPWH. We are confident that we completed properly and faithfully the portions or phases of the projects awarded to us. In fact, we could not be paid by the DPWH unless the work passed the required material testing in accordance with DPWH design. The DPWH assessed and inspected every project based on the completed portion or accomplishment.

We were forced to absorb these reductions, which caused small profits or losses in some projects. To recover, we increased our participation in projects. We had to carry out “girls projects” and were thoroughly inspected on all our completed projects.

We are ready to testify, without coercion and of our own free will, as state witnesses and to disclose all the corruption happening in the House of Representatives, DPWH, and other government officials in order to do what is right. And we appeal to President Bongbong Marcos for the protection and security of our family.

This statement we have made voluntarily, and no one forced us to make it. In truth, we signed this statement voluntarily and without coercion.