Suplico: DPWH flood control data in 5th District incomplete

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo 5th District Board Member Rolex Suplico said the Department of Public Works and Highways Region 6 has yet to submit complete documents on flood control projects in his district despite a formal request from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

In a radio interview on Tuesday, Sept. 23, Suplico said DPWH-6 Regional Director Engr. Joel Limpengco sent him a list of 41 projects in the 5th District, but key attachments were missing.

“Some were not included in the list I had, so I presumed theirs was complete. The problem is, what they gave me was lacking—it did not include the program of works and other documents,” he said.

Suplico later learned from the regional office that the missing records were still with the 3rd Engineering District.

“The regional office only handles bidding, but implementation records are with the district office,” he explained, stressing that these are public records.

“Anybody can ask for them. There should be no secrecy. The mere fact that there is hesitation to release the documents is not a valid reason not to submit them. The public needs this information, especially with what is happening now,” he added.

On Sept. 1, the Provincial Board passed Resolution No. 2025-512, authored by Suplico, formally requesting DPWH-6 to submit complete documentation of all flood control projects in the 5th District from July 1, 2022, including programs of work, detailed unit price analyses, bills of quantities, and the names and addresses of contractors.

The issue comes as flood control projects face scrutiny nationwide.

On Aug. 26, Suplico delivered a privilege speech titled “GOTCHA!” where he reported alleged defects and unfinished works in PHP 855.6 million worth of projects in Ajuy town.

Based on his inspections, seawalls in Barangays Barrido, Pili, and Mangorocoro were either substandard, unfinished, or abandoned.

He also questioned the awarding of multimillion-peso contracts to single proprietorships such as C’zarles Construction & Supply, which cornered over PHP 200 million worth of projects in Barangay Pili—a practice he described as a red flag.

Earlier, on Aug. 19, Suplico delivered another speech titled “Deluge,” where he urged an inquiry into more than PHP 1.8 billion worth of flood control projects in the district.

Citing data from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Sumbong sa Pangulo portal, he noted that only four towns—Estancia, Concepcion, Ajuy, and Barotac Viejo—were listed for a total of PHP 1.495 billion.

Yet seven other projects worth PHP 660 million appeared on roadside billboards but not in the database, suggesting possible budget insertions during bicameral deliberations.