Benguet town folks seek probe of DENR projects

By Flor Abul

ITOGON, Benguet-- Barangay Virac residents here petitioned mayor Mario Godio to create the municipality's own investigation team regarding their allegations of irregularities in the implementation of the Itogon Integrated Watershed Management Program pending resolution of the issues they were raising.

Residents furnished copies of their letter to different local offices and the Office of the Ombudsman, Manila after they sent earlier another letter last month to regional Environment and Natural Resources executive director Samuel Penafiel.

Residents requested a “fair and impartial investigation on the highly irregular implementation of projects and programs by IIWMP which has caused the government millions of pesos in wasted tax payer's money.”

Among the issues raised by the residents were payment of ghost reforestation projects and existing check dams. Residents claimed the check dams that were constructed and paid were below standard and their programs of work were not followed aside from non-payment of accomplished projects on agro-reforestation since 2006 and other livelihood programs.

The notarized affidavit complaint claimed there was manipulation of projects and funds by the officers of the Barangay Entrepreneurs Association of Virac in collusion with officials of the IIWMP.

They said the report of the technical staff of the regional DENR on the issue was “self- serving."

To qualify their claim on issues regarding the existing check dams, one resident said one of the check dams inspected and paid by the validation team was his own project in 1978.

It was presented by the contractors to the validation team as a new check dam by repairing some parts of it and in the words of the resident, " applied make-up to the structure through tapal-tapal to make it look like a new structure."

The residents said “if work was intended for repair only, why did the DENR allocate P2 million only?"

Residents said a 14-hectare lot was planted with tree seedlings was also irregular because only one or two hectares was planted but the whole 14 hectares was claimed for payment.

A resident said he planted only on a one hectare lot of the agro-reforestation project, but he was made to declare two hectares to be paid.
Santos Pansa, BEA president of Virac, said of the original 27 petitioners, some have retracted their complaints and only six complainants remain.

He said in a letter to Penafiel that allegations of the petitioners were intended to malign his good name.

He said the matter should now be referred to an impartial body for disposition for justice sake. The Sanggunian Bayan of Itogon, through the indorsement of Godio, started its inquiry on the matter.