Bacolod lawmaker urges DPWH chief to resign

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – “Mahiya ka naman. Resign now.”

This was the message Wednesday on the social media page of Bacolod lone district Rep. Albee Benitez to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan after an inspection of a Bulacan flood control project revealed that a project marked completed by the DPWH had yet to be constructed.

Following the discovery, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was “very angry” after seeing that the PHP55 million river wall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan was virtually nonexistent.

“Walang ginawa kahit isang araw hindi nagtrabaho. Kahit puntahan niyo, wala kayong makikita na kahit ano,” the President said, as quoted by Benitez.

Marcos added: “Ang ginagawa nila talagang nakakapinsala pa sa mga local residents. So yes, I’m not disappointed, I’m angry.”

According to Benitez, “the principle of command responsibility demands that the secretary step down.”

“If something as basic as this has been overlooked, who knows how many more critical projects are in a similar state?” he asked.

The lawmaker pointed out that “this poses a danger to communities who depend on these projects to keep them safe.”

“As the President said in his SONA: Mahiya ka naman. The DPWH secretary should resign now.”

Benitez added that whoever takes over from Bonoan should continue the comprehensive audit of all flood control projects and identify questionable and substandard structures.

Based on DPWH documents, the 220-meter structure in Baliuag was supposed to begin last February.

Records also showed the project was fully paid, but there was no evidence that work had already begun.

Earlier, Benitez called on Bonoan to take a leave of absence after the flood control projects controversy broke out.

NBI PROBE

Mayor Renato Gustilo of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate three flood control projects worth PHP306 million that were supposedly implemented in the city, claiming his office and the local Department of Public Works and Highways had no knowledge of them.

Gustilo claimed that his signature, along with that of a city engineer, was forged in project documents.

He also alleged that the projects did not undergo consultation, inspection, or approval from the local government.

Gustilo, now on his last term as mayor, said the DPWH national office sent him a letter before the President’s State of the Nation Address seeking confirmation if the projects had been completed.

“I did not sign the acceptance of the project,” Gustilo said.

He added: “When we inquired with the district engineer, they too denied any knowledge about it. It did not pass through them.”

Documents showed that the projects include:

– PHP151.5 million flood control project in Barangay Palampas, supposedly by A.P.O. General Construction of Mountain Province;
– PHP77.5 million flood control project in Ando-on River, allegedly by EKC Construction of Benguet;
– PHP77.3 million flood control project in Jigalaman River, Barangay Guadalupe, by Jaben General Contracting and Engineering Services, also from Benguet.

Gustilo noted that the contractors came from outside Negros and that the projects were managed solely by the DPWH without any consultation or inspection from the city government.

“Our city has no involvement in the selection, study, planning, budgeting, or implementation of these projects,” the mayor said.

He added that unclear communication about the national budget had fueled public distrust and misinformation.

“But as your father in the city, I hope that the truth will prevail. Above all, I have confidence that with dignified and honest service, our society will become stronger and more prosperous,” Gustilo said.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, himself a former San Carlos City mayor, clarified there is no conflict between Mayor Gustilo and former Rep. Gerardo Valmayor over the issue.

He noted that the city still needs additional flood control infrastructure as flooding remains a persistent problem, particularly in upland areas prone to landslides.

“I know the LGU also has its own flood control projects, with the big culverts I see when I go home,” Lacson added.