An employee of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is suspected of leaking confidential information to a construction consulting firm in Tokyo before the bidding process for a Japan-aided railway renovation project in the Philippines. The leaked information included project costs and the Philippine government’s personnel plan for the MRT Line 3 renovation project in Manila, funded by a yen loan from Japan.
The JICA employee allegedly leaked the information to secure a contractor in advance and prevent delays in the ¥38.1 billion project. The government confirmed the information leak and emphasized the seriousness of the situation.
In an email to the consulting company, the employee thanked them for their involvement in the bidding process, stating that the project was the fastest in JICA’s history. The leak occurred shortly after Japan’s Foreign Ministry released details of the yen loan for the project.
JICA suspended the employee for one month following the leak. The total amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) extended to the Philippines from 2017 through 2021 was $11.3 billion.