BEHIND THE SCENES

More on Mt. Data-Bontoc road scam
ALFRED P. DIZON

Sanamagan. At the rate issues of corruption are being brought out against government officials allegedly involved in the ZTE deal, “palace” monetary handouts worth millions to local officials to secret bank accounts, it would seem we are headed to earning a title as the “most corrupt country of the century” in the Guinness Book of World Records.

People are saying it seems doing graft is the only thing our officials know. Nowadays, almost folk we bump into is talking about these. It seems everybody had suddenly become an expert on how graft is being committed and how the government is doing everything to do damage control like that alleged “accidental” blast at Glorietta wherein 11 persons were killed.

Almost every national media outfit is discussing these issues so let us leave this to our peers in Imperial Manila and delve on corruption being done in the local level which also involves millions of pesos.
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One such controversy is the “anomalous” P700 million Mt. Data-Bontoc road project. This paper had been coming with exposes on the issue out week after week so for those who missed some issues of this paper, please read our banner story on page 1.

It had been a long time since I wrote a straight news story and I didn’t want this issue to pass. But for this column, let us take a look at what is happening behind the scenes.
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The next bombshell for our friends in the Dept of Public Works and Highways: a top regional official would be out of office the coming days. According to our Malacanang bubwit, Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane is putting the finishing touches to make this official realize that good times do come to an end.

You see, this official had reportedly been having it so good the past years owing to his close relationship with this top Mountain Province official who was responsible for installing him to office.

Like all fairy tales gone haywire, this DPWH official may have to bear the consequences as according to our bubwit, Ebdane is visibly mad every time this issue crops up and would like to make a sample out of this so-called public servant.
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You see, this DPWH official had been saying no irregularity or graft had been committed in the implementation of the project when a team from the central office tasked to investigate the issue found out “coring” of the road was substandard.

Other alleged violations: The projects were split (chop chopped) in violation of Republic Act 9184, there was no actual survey of the projects as the programming was rushed to beat the deadline for the collection of the 15 percent advance mobilization payment and as proof of this, funds for the “detailed engineering were not used.” The bidding for the projects was allegedly rigged and public documents were falsified, among others.
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Of course, this top Mountain Province elective official had been mouthing the line over a radio station in Baguio week after week since the expose on this road project was made by the Northern Philippine Times and followed up by other local and national papers.

The whistle-blower of course was Sabangan resident Juniper Dominguez. I’m inviting anybody who has information on the issue to write about it in this paper. Juniper earlier told this writer he had no qualms of being named as the source of the stories. Juniper told me he had been receiving death threats following his revelations but said he would pursue the cases to the end.
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Good, I told him, since no DPWH official in Mountain Province or the region, as far as I know had been terminated from office for doing hanky panky with taxpayers’ money. Aside from former regional DPWH Pleyto (his first name escapes me) who was suspended from office, I couldn’t remember any who was given the axe. Pleyto was meted disciplinary action after he was transferred to the Central Office.
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Anyway, lackeys of this top Mountain Province official are now saying Juniper had been very talkative about the anomalous road contracts as a way of getting back at his uncle Rep. Victor Dominguez who beat his younger brother Jupiter for the congressional post last May elections.

Juniper may have his reasons, but fact is -- pieces of evidence point out there were indeed anomalies on implementation of the road projects. As a kailian said, “Aye pay si Juniper, talaga samet ay adi na isardeng nan kanakanana isnan project ay sana (Juniper, I guess won’t stop talking about the road projects.)”
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We say it is high time people should speak out about these anomalies and it is strange we don’t get statements on the issue from our friends in the Cordillera People’s Alliance and other cause-oriented organizations.

Now, what is this we hear that this regional DPWH official (who was the object of Jupiter’s complaint with the ombudsman) “settled” one commissioner of the Presidential Anti-graft Commission to delay the issuance of a preventive suspension order for him to have time to manipulate matters favorably for him?
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The commissioner was reportedly a former politician from Mindanao. Now, Constancia P. De Guzman, MNSA chairperson is reportedly conducting “preliminary verification” on the matter. Whether something comes out of this “verification” remains to be seen as we hear more money is about to be donated by this regional DPWH official to other MNSA commissioners.

Government officials bribing other government officials is the fad at the moment so I guess, this DPWH official wouldn’t like to be tagged as “outdated.” You see, for some, if not most people in government, one must have the best in everything to be “respected” by one’s peers – latest model car, mansion with high-tech amenities, golfing privileges and of course, the prettiest women for hire.
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It is no wonder anymore if some government officials, with no businesses outside of government, could spend so much and have all the things money can buy despite having measly salaries.

I guess these officials, deep down in themselves, are ashamed of what they are doing thinking they are feeding their families out of ill-gotten wealth. The sad thing – once one is in the quagmire, it is very hard to get out.