Koko supports calls to start probe into P60-m bridge project

By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

SENATE President Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday supported the call for an investigation into the Bitan-ag bridge project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) even as he said he would bring the matter to the attention of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

Pimentel said this a day after Councilor George Goking called the P60-million bridge project “palpak,” pointing out that the only thing the new bridge did was to make floodwaters deeper in areas surrounding it. The councilor sought a full-blown city council investigation into the project awarded  by the DPWH to Jejors Construction last year.

Pimentel said he would see to it that the matter would reach Villar’s attention so that the secretary would compel DPWH officials responsible for the project to submit to the planned city council investigation.

During a briefing at the City  Disaster  Risk  Reduction  Management  Department yesterday afternoon, Pimentel asked Vice  Mayor  Reineir Joaquin Uy and the city council to immediately summon DPWH regional officials.

He said he wanted to know why the DPWH projects were being implemented with no or very little coordination with city hall.

“Dili  mahimo na  nga sila  ra ang  magbo-ot   paghimo anang ilang trabaho. Ang atong gusto, dunay harmonious coordination sa implementation sa mga government projects sa  DPWH ug sa local  government,”  Pimentel said.

He told Uy and the councilors to review the DPWH bridge project. “Na-ila na ra ba nga 4th growth center sa Pilipinas ang Cagayan de Oro, unya ingon ani ang  atong  situation nga  baha-an kita.”

The city council will not be the only one to look into the DPWH’s bridge project. Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) chairman Abul Khayr Alonto said Minda would also review the project, saying he was informed of complaints about the project that was completed last year.

Alonto said this before he left for Davao to personally give his report to President Duterte. Earlier, he said Duterte tasked Minda to look into the Monday’s floodings in the city.

“The other day, we were looking into the causes of the urban floodings, and then the details started coming in. There were also complaints from the business sector,” he said.

Alonto said city hall and DPWH should address the problem on sewerage and garbage disposal in the city.

The DPWH, he said, must explain its projects and disclose how it planned and managed project implementations.

He said there was no point elevating roads if the drainage system has not been taken care of. “Cagayan de Oro would sink whenevr it rains because they did not solve the drainage system problem.”

Alonto said the DPWH should consult urban planning experts, academics, the business sector and residents whenever it implements projects.

“We should immediately address this problem because President Duterte is from Mindanao. We should be in one family in solving our own problems,” he said.