The Philippine government said Saturday that three local companies blacklisted by the World Bank would face charges if investigations found they had won a road contract through corruption. The World Bank said on Thursday it had evidence of collusion among four Chinese and three Filipino construction firms in the bidding for a road project in the Philippines.
"The government is willing to charge those involved once it can be proven they engaged in irregularities," deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez told local radio. The bank subsequently cancelled the tender for contracts worth a total of 33 million dollars, and banned the firms from future tenders. "No Philippine government agency was linked to the mess. Besides, this was based on the World Bank's own criteria," Golez said.
"Once it is proven there are violations of our laws, that is the proper time we charge these people in the proper forum, the courts," he said. China has already called on the World Bank to provide evidence of graft by the Chinese construction firms. "The companies said there were flaws in the World Bank's investigation in terms of evidence and investigation procedures," Yao Jian, spokesman of China's commerce ministry, said in a statement posted on his ministry's website.