TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Highways
Sec. Mark A. Villar was urged to investigate alleged poor implementation of
infrastructure projects of Kalinga and transfer the OIC district engineer of
the province owing to allegations of corruption within his office.
“We would
like to inform you that OIC District Engineer Teodoro Owek of the Upper Kalinga
Engineering District should be transferred to a district outside the province,”
said provincial administrator Henry T. Gupaal in his letter to Villar dated August
31, 2018.
The letter
was furnished to President Duterte and Cordillera Dept. of Public Works and
Highways regional director Nerie Bueno.
“His (Owek) performance pales with what is
expected of him; and with him as OIC district engineer, Kalinga is moving
backward because the situation in Upper Kalinga is getting worst. We are
writing your office on behalf of the people of Kalinga who are longing for the
development and progress of the province.
“There are
allegations of corruption in his office; the contractors he favors are his
relatives (JTM Construction, BMJ Builders and Yunakim Construction); projects
are substandard; program of works are not appropriate like the widening of
Molayong-Ableg road which is waste of public funds because the project should
have been widening of the road but the DPWH Upper Kalinga district programmed a
rip-raping which made the road more narrower. What they rip-rapped is a solid
rock and the construction/riprapping of flood control project in Poblacion,
Tinglayan, that in the program of work prepared by said district, the
aggregates will come from Tabuk City, 60 kilometers from the project site, but
in the actual construction the contractor is getting its aggregates from the
Bonog River instead.
Gupaal said the
barangay captain of the area “reported this anomalous practice.” Another alleged
rigged bidding awarded to BMJ Builders, reportedly a lone bidder, was
construction of the Limood-Amdalao Road in Pasil amounting to P52 million
funded under PAMANA funds.
“We suggest
that the OIC be replaced by a regular district engineer. We know that the
congressman is your party mate and you cannot afford to displease him but
please look at the bigger interest of the people.”
Gupaal urged
Villar to transfer Owek “because we cannot afford to move backwards.
He said Kalinga
was a 5-time Seal of Good Local Governance Awardee and last week the DTI
recognized the province as one of the most competitive provinces as number 19
among the top 20 provinces in the country and the only province in the
Cordillera Region to get the award.
“We are
requesting that you come and investigate setting aside your party relations
with the congressman. We want our province to continue moving forward like the
rest of the country as is the wishes of our beloved President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte that he hates drugs, and he hates corruption in the government. This is
the reason why we are emboldened and encouraged by the President’s
pronouncements now and then. We trust that you will give due attention to our
request for the good of our people,” Gupaal said.
Gupaal
revealed he had been serving the province as provincial administrator for Gov.
Dominador T. Belac (2004-2007), Gov. Floydelia R. Diasen (2007-2008), and now
Gov. Jocel C. Baac.
But previous
to this position Gupaal worked with then Executive Secretary Oscar M. Orbos at
Malacanang as one of his personal staff and the late Fr. Conrado M. Balweg as
member of the Cordillera panel and aide-de-camp when he was negotiating for
peace and development in the Cordillera with the government.
“With these
experiences we have seen how we should maximize the resources of government
when it comes into the proper implementation of projects that are deemed to
uplift the lives of our people,” Gupaal said.
Owek could
not be contacted at press time for his side on the matter.
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