P’sinan governor faces graft rap for overpriced project

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Gov. Amado Espino III has been slapped with a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman due to the reportedly overpriced construction of an oval track and event staging area for the Alaminos City National High School.

The construction was intended for the 2018 Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet, and reportedly cost around P13 million. This amount covered the backfilling of soil, asphalting of the oval, and the construction of two bleachers and a stage.

Complainant Michelle Anne Celino said that the amount claimed by Espino for the project was “grossly overpriced” because it was “not commensurate to the work that was undertaken.”

The construction of the two bleachers and the stage cost P5 million, but Celino said the cost estimate made by the City Engineer of the Province of Pangasinan only amounted to P1,241,006.81.

The P8 million, on the other hand, went to the backfilling of soil and asphalting of the oval track. Celino stressed in her complaint that the amount spent was “too excessive, and surely caused undue injury and great prejudice to the government.”

Celino wants Espino charged for violating Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The said law faults local officials for “causing any injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official functions.”

The three-page complaint was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman for Luzon on April 16.