BY ALEX ALAGON
NEWS REPORT: The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is ready to present any of the personalities involved in the graft-laden flood control projects. This is according to no less than Secretary JonVic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG).
Who knows, the personalities concerned might have already downloaded a huge amount to the BJMP for the construction of special Kubols or well-furnished cottages, should, by miracle, they be indicted and eventually convicted of graft and corruption.
But are there chances that they will be convicted by the courts? Who knows, they, the corrupt politicians, DPWH officials, and greedy contractors, might have downloaded a much bigger budget for projects intended for both the prosecution and the court people?
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Talking of politicians, both active and currently taking a break, former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, who flaunts his wealth without any iota of hesitation, is now facing a plunder case with the Ombudsman.
The case arose from the reported hugely overpriced purchase of a land by the local government of Narvacan, where Singson once was mayor. The property was valued at only P49.48 million. But the purchase amount made by the Narvacan LGU with Singson as mayor was P149.96 million, or roughly P100 million overpriced.
Yet Singson has the gall to join the protesters demanding transparency from the government of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and also loudly calling for an end to a government marred with corruption.
He even openly encouraged the military and other law enforcement units to withdraw support from the incumbent.
Will Singson be convicted? Again, money is expected to play its role in his prosecution. And Singson is no stranger to that kind of game.
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We are hoping that our column will have the chance of getting read by any member or even staff of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), now investigating corruption charges on flood control projects, and lately including other infrastructure construction.
Yes, for the nth time, we are again raising the issue of the long, supposedly completed bridge project spanning the creek that divides Barangay Catalunan Grande in the first district, and Barangay Tacunan in the third district of Davao City.
The fifteen or so meters long concrete span has been completed during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Tacunan end of the bridge has not been provided with an approach leading to the main road. On the other hand, the Catalunan Grande approach has long been completed. Unfortunately, it remains unconnected to the road leading to the latter barangay.
We have no idea who the contractor of the bridge was. But we are certain that it is both reported as completed and that the contractor is fully paid.
Considering that the project is both in the first and third districts of Davao City, we were encouraging the members of the City Council to investigate the bridge’s status. The intention of course is to find out whether it is a locally or nationally-funded project. The concerned agency should be made to explain why the said bridge has remained in that status for the longest time already. t
In fact, its side railings are already destroyed, even as its current “users” are only hordes of goats spending their nights in the area.
But it appears that not a single member of the City Council has the interest to find out what ails the project. Or are the members so afraid they might get the ire of some influential politicians?
We know that the mentioned bridge is not a ghost project. It is very visible to the naked eye. But many people, especially those frequent users of the route, are starting to feel their hair raising every time they pass the bridge area.
For certain, they now feel that the “completed” but still unfinished bridge project is possibly sheltering a number of ghosts that make the place creepy.
Again, we are urging our councilors to visit the site of the bridge so they can decide whether the condition of the project is worth investigating.
Maybe the chairperson of the Council Committee on Public Works should constitute his members into one group and do the visit.
Or, is he also afraid of getting confronted by the ghosts residing under the “troubled bridge” over the calm creek water?
