Budget for Sariaya road projects gone to waste — Lacson
“P466.8 million gone to waste.”
This was Senator Panfilo Lacson’s observation on the budget allotted to the Sariaya bypass diversion road projects in Quezon, which has been suspended since March 2016.
READ: Road bypass projects in Quezon to speed up Manila-Bicol trip
“The project had a total allocation of P466.8M under the General Appropriations Act for three years. (It’s) a multi-year project,” he said during the hearing of the Senate committee on finance.
“(In) 2016, the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) requested for further appropriations only to suspend the project three months later — March 2016 this was suspended.”
“What is the future of this project? Ang main problem dito (The main problem here) is right of way (ROW) settlements,” the senator added.
Lacson feared that the road project might be deemed “useless” once a toll road is constructed.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar explained that during the implementation of projects, ROW issues sometimes surface such as dealing with multiple claimants to a property.
“If that’s the case, we’re not complying with the provisions of RA 10752,” Lacson said, referring to the Right of Way Act.
The senator said the law was clear that the DPWH must first ensure that all ROW expenses are settled before implementing the projects.
“So we’re not complying with the law,” Lacson stressed.
In an interview after the hearing, the senator identified more than of P16 billion ROW funding under DPWH’s proposed budget next year.
The senator warned of the funding’s deletion if the DPWH could not explain and justify it.
READ: Lacson wants P16B ‘pork’ sliced off DPWH budget
