REP. CRV, NANAWAGAN SA DPWH NA KASUHAN ANG RESPONSABLE SA PALPAK NA SUNOG APOG PUMPING STATION
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Mahigpit na nanawagan kay Department of Public Works and Higways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon si Manila Congressman Rolan ‘CRV’ Valeriano (2nd district) na papanagutin ang nasa likod ng palpak na P774-million halaga ng Sunog Apog Pumping Station sa Tondo, Maynila na patuloy na di gumagana bagama’t inumpisahan noon pang 2017. Si Valeriano ay naging Congressman taong 2019.
Pinasalamatan din ni Valeriano si Dizon sa pagbisita nito sa nasabing pumping station at nanawagan siya dito at sa Independent Committee on Infrastructure (ICI) upang tiyakin na lahat ng kinakailangang pagkumpuni ay magagawa nang maayos at lahat ng DPWH officials, contractors at pulitikong nasa likod ng kapalpakan ay makakasuhan.
Ayon kay Valeriano, “those behind the project must be held criminally, civilly and administratively accountable,” kasabay ng pahayag na ang mga residente ng kanyang distrito ay lubhang naghihirap sa mataas na tubig-baha dulot ng kapabayaan at anomalya kaugnay ng nasabing proyekto.
“Clearly, that non-operational pumping station is the result of culpable supervision of DPWH engineers and substandard work by DPWH contractors MSB Vitug/J.D. Legaspi Construction. In September 2023, the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, which I then chaired, investigated the matter and found out that the DPWH had already fully paid the contractors a total of P774 million, despite the defects that rendered the facility useless,” ani Valeriano.
Inihayag din ng mambabatas na mismong MMDA ang nagsabi na maraming mali sa proyekto nang humarap sa Congress at aniya, ang House investigation ay ‘in aid of legislation’ lamang at limitado sa fact-finding at rekomendasyon.
“The mandate to file charges and recover wasted funds now lies with the DPWH and the ICI, which must determine if the Sunog Apog Pumping Station was the product of unscrupulous congressional “insertions” prior to its construction in 2018 or if it was part of a modus operandi similar to the so-called Bulacan Group of Contractors”, ani Valeriano.
“They must also answer the question: where is MSB Vitug/J.D. Legaspi Construction now, and have they been blacklisted?,” dagdag pa ni Valeriano.
Nitong Mayo lamang ay nag-award umano ang DPWH ng hiwalay na P94 million contract sa LeBron Construction, isang proprietorship, upang mapagana lamang ang pumping station.
“This means that taxpayers’ money will again be used to fix a project that should have been working from the start. The spending and implementation of this new contract must be closely monitored to avoid a repeat of past mistakes,” pagbibigay-diin ni Valeriano. (JERRY S. TAN)