Bridges to Nowhere (2005)

Summary:

In his True State of the Nation Address (TSONA) in July 2005, Ping Lacson disclosed that several bridges under the P8.3-billion President's Bridge Program and costing some P16.853 million each, led virtually nowhere. "How can they explain paying exactly the same amount for different bridges in different locations and with different measurements?" he said.

Lacson said that just before the 2004 elections, the Department of Public Works and Highways was busy implementing an P8.3-billion component of the President's Bridge Program for the construction of Bailey bridges in remote areas. "This bridge is one for Ripley's. As you cross this bridge in Zamboanga Sibugay, you end up... Nowhere! A bridge in the middle of a ricefield that leads to nowhere...believe it or not," he said.

Worse, he said such a sloppy project, hidden in the remotest areas, rushed during the 2004 election campaign and costing P8.3 billion, "can only mean fat commissions."

Effect:

The expose showed how the administration used the DPWH for "fund-raising" purposes, particularly during an election. The scandal, which came three years before a bigger scandal involving bribery and collusion in World Bank-funded projects, also gave the public a glimpse into how funds in even foreign-assisted projects were lost to corruption.