Cleaning DPWH of rotten eggs

EDITORIAL

Last week, seven officers of the Mountain Province District Engineering Office were charged for falsification of documents, grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty on implementation of P102 million flood control projects in the capital town of Bontoc. 

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary  Rogelio Singson formally charged  the officials for changing locations of  already identified projects as per special allotment release order (SARO) falsification of documents among others. (See story on page 1 for more details.)

In another case in the tourist town of Sagada in the province the Sangguniang Bayan condemned attempts by a high ranking politician in the province to divert a P100 million fund intended to boost the tourism industry of the town to a project that does not serve its purpose. (See related story in page 7.)

Sagada Vice Mayor Richard Yodong and members of the municipal council said engineers from the regional DPWH office have already prepared the plans and estimates using the fund from the Department of Tourism for another infrastructure project that had no direct effect to tourism, especially to the town which is a premier tourist destination not only in the province but also in the country.

The Sagada officials said the amount which was included in this year’s General Appropriations  Act, was intended to improve the Sabangan-Sagada via Balili road but was allegedly secretly diverted to fund the rehabilitation of the Sabangan-Sagada via Madepdepas road, a route that will not pass through any tourist destination which is contrary to purpose of the tourism enhancement funds to develop infrastructures leading to prime tourist destinations in the countryside.

These are examples of shenanigans going not only in Mountain Province and Cordillera DPWH offices but in the country if reports are to be believed.

A housecleaning is in order in the agency, which had been known as one of the most corrupt government agencies in the past or the “daang matuwid” of the Aquino administration would just be what pundits are saying as mere lip service. The rotten eggs must go.