PACC probes corruption on Ifugao road projects

‘Government funds used for illegal activities’ 

IFUGAO Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat hailed move of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to probe use of government funds in this province to put a stop to corruption in the bidding for public infrastructure projects and expressed hope that those responsible will be meted the punishment provided by law.

Baguilat, who has long championed anti-corruption measures, said he had been informed earlier of attempts by government officials to get bribes from contractors in his province of Ifugao, thus he prompted these contractors to report illegal practices to the Dept. of Public Works and Highways.

Baguilat was therefore puzzled when the former district engineer of Ifugao, Lorna Ricardo, purportedly dropped his name regarding a road project in Ifugao, especially since the project was not even initiated by his office but was inserted in the government budget in bicameral meetings. 

"Immediately after District Engineer Ricardo was assigned to Ifugao late last year, I already told her that I do not accept bribes and that she should not be afraid to go after erring contractors. They should be made accountable if they do not comply with the agreed program of work. That is public money we are talking about so it should be spent properly," Baguilat said. 

Ricardo has since been transferred to Abra, without any objection from Baguilat.
Baguilat recalled that the 2018 infrastructure budget for Ifugao was slashed to zero following his stance on several issues which contradicted the administration’s position. 

“I was therefore surprised, pleasantly at the time, to find out that 100 million pesos was somehow inserted in the infrastructure budget of Ifugao without any intervention from my office. But even then, the bulk of projects that were the result of tedious planning was not funded,” Baguilat said.

“My surprise has since turned to disgust as it looks like my province’s budget was used to support illegal activities,” Baguilat added.

Ricardo was OIC-District Engineer of Davao City in 2009 where she was identified by the Commission on Audit as among those liable to settle the disallowed amount of 12.9 million pesos for certain road projects. In 2013, she was designated District Engineer of Davao del Norte 1st District Engineering Office, then, in 2017, as District Engineer of the Ifugao First Engineering District.

In Ifugao, anti-corruption advocate Citizens Crime Watch – Cordillera Administrative Region alleged that Ricardo and other DPWH officials formed a clique which displaced dedicated and hardworking Igorot engineers so they could pursue questionable transactions.

“I hope an investigation into this alleged act of corruption will also look into getting funds to where they are actually needed, and not to projects that possibly result in kickbacks,” Baguilat added.