DPWH defies order to stop road project

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ILOILO CITY — The brewing conflict between the city government and the Department of Public Works and Highways-Iloilo City District Engineering Office (DPWH-Icdeo) has intensified after the latter refused to comply with a cease-and-desist order for an ongoing road project.

The work stoppage order, issued by the city government on Tuesday, cites the lack of crucial permits for the Icdeo's drainage and road excavation project in Barangay San Pedro, Jaro.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the project lacked an excavation permit, a mayor's permit, a barangay clearance and an approved ordinance for road closure.

Aside from violating city ordinances, the city mayor said the Icdeo also breached DPWH Department Order 110, which mandates consultation and coordination with local governments before the implementation of local projects.

Further inspection by city officials revealed additional compliance issues, including the absence of project signage as required under Commission on Audit Circular 2013-004, which mandates public display of project details for transparency and accountability.

Upon the delivery of the order to the Icdeo office on Wednesday, office personnel refused to formally receive the order, arguing that it was not addressed to the Icdeo officer-in-charge Engr. Roy Pacanan but rather to DPWH-6 regional director Sonny Boy Oropel.

"[The] document was fairly declined to be received by this office as it was not directly addressed to any personnel of [Icdeo] but to Oropel," Pacanan said in a letter to Treñas on Wednesday.

Pacanan said that any response or action on the cease and desist order will be undertaken once the document is formally endorsed to them by the regional office, in line with proper protocol.

Pacanan also raised concerns about what he described as an "unnecessary administrative bottleneck," noting that previous communications from the city government were routed to the DPWH-6 instead of being addressed directly to the district office.

He urged the city government to streamline coordination and send future communications directly to the district for a more efficient response.

This latest clash follows a string of disputes between Treñas and Pacanan, with tensions dating back to last year.

The mayor has consistently criticized Icdeo for project delays and alleged violations of local regulations, citing records from the Office of the Building Official (OBO).

Pacanan, in turn, has accused the OBO of bureaucratic delays in issuing necessary permits, calling the city's repeated inquiries "vexatious and abusive" in an April 10 memorandum to Oropel.

In response, City Legal Officer Edgardo Gil defended the city's actions, stating in a letter dated April 23 that the inquiries stem from legitimate public complaints over delayed and unclear infrastructure projects on city-owned land.

"These are not baseless interrogations," Gil wrote. "They are part of our responsibility to ensure that public funds are spent legally and transparently."

Gil also criticized Pacanan's framing of the city's oversight as a form of harassment, emphasizing that Treñas is acting within his mandate as the elected city leader.

"The mayor's role is to represent the people's interests. Oversight and transparency are not just political obligations — they are legal duties," he added.