Duterte hints at misgivings over ‘Build, Build, Build’ program

President Rodrigo Duterte hinted at having misgivings over his administration's "Build, Build Build" infrastructure program during the inauguration of a power plant in Sarangani, according to a Saturday report on GMA News' 24 Oras Weekend.

"Sabi ko sa kanila hindi ko kailangan ‘yung Build, Build, Build. Do not give me that kind of s***. I want build, use, build, use, build, use," said Duterte.

"Eh kung Build, Build, Build lang, para ‘yang bilbil naka," he added. 

Both the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works and Highways have yet to explain the President's comments.

Senator Franklin Drilon had earlier criticized the program, calling it a failure as only a few infrastructure projects had pushed through.

Duterte countered that Drilon had an incomplete appreciation of his government's accomplishments.

In 2016, the Duterte administration announced that it would allot P8.2 trillion to fund the program, which would usher in a "golden age of infrastructure" in the country.

Earlier this month, however, the National Economic and Development Authority announced adjustments made to the flagship program, including the shrinking of the funding by almost half to P4.7 trillion.

Several smaller projects were also added to the list, bringing the number up to 100 after some of the big-ticket projects had to be scrapped.

Drilon called the revised list a "cosmetic" move and said that some of the projects that had been added to the list were already ongoing. "[I]sinama doon sa flagship projects para sabihin siguro at the end of this administration, they can claim na out of 100 flagship projects, so many were done, so they will get good grades," he said.

Earlier this month, Albay Representative Joey Salceda filed House Bill 5456 which seeks to grant Duterte special powers to adopt a national policy to fast-track the implementation of the Build, Build, Build program before he steps down in 2022.

The Palace welcomed the bill but later added the bill is not a priority. 

"[W]e consider this proposed measure belated and no longer a priority legislative agenda of the President, given that we only have less than three years left in office," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

"The President will implement and maximize what is presently available under our laws for this purpose," he added. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM/KG, GMA News