.png){kind=logo}
2 hours ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. checks documents containing complaints against officials of the Department of Pub- lic Works and Highways in Davao Occidental and several private contractors, at the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — Charges have been filed against six officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao Occidental and several private contractors in connection with eight non-existent farm-to-market road projects amounting to P94 million.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the filing of the complaints against the respondents before the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City yesterday.
The charges involve corruption, malversation, falsification of public documents, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
Among those charged were DPWH-Davao Occidental engineers Michael Awa, Jafel Faunillan, Rodrigo Larete, Joel Lumogdang, Czar Ryan Ubungen and Harold John Villaver.
Private contractor Leonila Urgel of RDF Construction and Supply was charged in connection with an alleged “ghost” farm-to-market road project in Barangay Caburan in Jose Abad Santos town.
The project was reportedly not implemented even as the government has paid the full amount of P11.94 million.
The respondents allegedly falsified the statement of work accomplishment, certificate of payment and disbursement vouchers to make it appear that the project has been completed.
Another complaint was filed against the same DPWH officials and private respondent Masulot Construction, represented by Maligamama Medtamak, in connection with a similar project, also in Barangay Caburan.
The DPWH officials reportedly certified the P11.92-million project as complete, despite validation by the DA-internal audit service that the infrastructure had not been implemented.
Other private contractors named in the case were Allen Borbon of Adan Builders Co., Diana Borbon of DISEM Construction and Supply, Marvin Cumbe and Honorio Cumbe of HVC Sagittarius Commercial and Construction, Marivic Juanites of Janmarie Construction, Abdulaziz Kadil of Al Handasa Construction and Florentino Pesigan Jr. of YPR General Contractor.
The charges involved farm-to-market road projects in the villages of Culaman, Datu Danwata, Demoloc, Manuel Peralta and Tical with total contract values ranging from P10.02 million to P14.92 million.
The DA said the respondents submitted falsified statements of work accomplishments, certificates of payment, project status reports and disbursement vouchers to be able to claim payments even as the projects were not completed.
The charges include malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well as administrative offenses such as grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.
The DA said the DPWH officials granted unwarranted benefits to private contractors, causing undue injury to the government.
Tiu Laurel said the DA’s internal audit service and the inspectorate and enforcement division would continue investigating possible collusion among regional officials of the DA, the DPWH and the contractors.
