“I would be happy to hear from these gentlemen.”
Manila’s South Harbor is abuzz with controversy as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) prohibits a waste management company from collecting the garbage from a United States Navy (USN) ship now docked at the Manila South Harbor.
As a result, tons of garbage are rotting in trucks after being unloaded from the USS Abraham Lincoln which arrived on March 25, 2022 as PPA South Harbor Manager Eligio Fortajada ordered the Northstar Shipping and Marine Services Inc. to keep its hands off the aircraft carrier’s garbage.
It’s a shame that PPA now figures in this kind of mess amid the election campaign in which government corruption is the hottest issue.
Undeniably, the battle for the shipload of garbage clearly arose from PPA officials’ insistence to have their preferred private contractor do the waste disposal, apparently a multimillion-peso deal.
PPA officials obviously subscribe to the byword, “May pera sa basura!” In other words, “Garbage is gold.”
Understandably, some PPA officials who are co-terminus with the Duterte administration may be trying to secure their lucrative retirement or separation benefits.
They must realize how frustrating this is for President Duterte who in 2016 promised to rid the government of corruption, as well as exterminate illegal drug dealers.
The US Navy had contracted the Northstar Shipping and Marine Services Inc. prior to USS Abraham Lincoln’s port call over a week ago, its first visit in the country since participating in disaster relief operations in the wake of Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991.
When Northstar proceeded to collect the US ship’s wastes, the PPA Police reportedly did not allow the garbage trucks to leave the pier for lack of “Permit to Operate” from the PPA.
The Northstar had, in fact, filed its application for a permit to operate in South Harbor several times which PPA Manager Fortajada denied repeatedly for unexplained reasons, except that PPA will allow only an “accredited” contractor to operate.
Note, however, that the transaction does not involve a government contract, specifically with PPA, in which case it must undergo a public bidding.
Clearly, this is a private business transaction between the US Navy and the Northstar in which some PPA officials want to dip their hand into.
Gustong lang makisawsaw ng mga buwaya.
According to my “bubwit” inside the agency, PPA Administrative Order No. 09-2020 Section 8.83 or Implementing Guidelines on the Issuance of Permit to Operate say that port service providers, like Northstar do not need to secure “permit to operate” to collect garbage “once a year.”
In the meantime, the heavily armed PPA policemen are all hands to hold hostage the aircraft carrier’s tons of garbage, which the PPA officials see as milking cows or gold mines.
We tried to get in touch with Mr. Fortajada for comment but to no avail.
In another complaint, a PPA-accredited contractor reportedly charges excessive arrastre or cargo handling fees in Southern Leyte Port.
The businessman said the arrastre company unreasonably jacked up its cargo handling fees for steel, sugar, and rice, making it more difficult for local traders to recover from the pandemic devastation.
We took the initiative to refer the complaint to PPA General Manager Jay Santiago who promised to investigate the businessmen’s grievance.
Several weeks have come and gone but we have not heard from Santiago ever since.
Also, what ever happened to the corruption issue of the PPA building project of a P6.5 million “Infinity” swimming pool which the Commission on Audit (COA) red-flagged last year?
PPA is a government-owned-controlled corporation under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) so we are respectfully calling the attention of DOTR Sec. Art Tugade to the complaints about PPA operations.
We strongly hope to hear from Sec. Tugade soon.