THE call of Ako Bicol Partylist led by Rep. Elizalde Co to unmask the culprits behind the controversial fund transfer of P3 billion from the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is a welcome move.

Millions of frustrated and angry Filipinos –especially the poor students who struggle to gain quality education amid the poor connectivity in the country – would surely like to know who bungled the management of the budget for a government program supposed to provide ‘wifi for all’.

Congress earlier allotted P13 billion for DICT to boost connectivity in the archipelago but P3 billion of the amount was found to have been allegedly wired to MMDA.

In a recent congressional hearing, Co, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, sought for the intervention of the Commission on Audit (COA) to get to the bottom of the multibillion-peso anomaly.

The lawmaker said the COA could determine the individuals and parties involved in the fund transfer scam. “Once identified, the perpertrators should be punished so others would not follow their misdeeds,” he said.

Further, Co expects COA to probe an MMDA executive who was believed to have been transferred to DICT to personally facilitate the ‘irregular’ undertaking.

The said official affixed his signature over the irregular transaction. After “fulfilling” his mission, he was reverted to MMDA.

“I have information that this guy was intentionally moved from MMDA to DICT to see to it that the anomalous transaction is consummated,” the lawmaker added.

The transfer of the P3 billion from DICT to MMDA may have been successful. But it’s now the subject of a heated congressional hearing.

During the hearing, DICT executives admitted MMDA has already returned the fund to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

More than a sign of guilt, the move to surrender the fund, experts say, puts MMDA into deeper trouble.

Fellow legislator Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza also hoped the COA could shed light about the lone bidder that bagged the contract with the MMDA for the NCR Fiber Optic Backbone Development Project despite reports it failed to possess qualifying requirements.

Meanwhile, the solar street lights for Metro Manila, another billion-peso project of MMDA, was also bagged by a sole bidder.

The company has Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) license but of low category thus it was not qualified to be awarded the more than P1 billion solar street lights project.