DBM allots over P325M to Sorsogon town’s infra projects – Andaya

House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya, Jr. during a press briefing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. INQUIRER.net photo/Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allegedly earmarked more than P325 million for infrastructure projects in a Sorsogon town under the 2019 national budget.

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya claimed in a statement on Thursday that the House of Representatives recently discovered about the allocation, which is allegedly part of the P75 billion purportedly inserted by DBM in the National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress.

According to Andaya, the P325 million-budget was intended for infrastructure projects in Casiguran town. Specifically, these projects are the Himaoyon Flood Control (P75 million); Lungib Seawall and Embankment (P80 million); Somal-ot Seawall and Embankment (P100 million); Cagpagol River Control (P45 million); and Suji River Control (P25 million).

Andaya expressed surprise as to why such high infrastructure budget was allotted to Casiguran town. He then cited DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s affinity to the town’s mayor.

“During the congressional Question Hour, Sec. Diokno admitted affinity with the mayor of Casiguran, Edwin Hamor. We later learned that Edwin is married to Ester Hamor, the incumbent Vice Governor of Sorsogon. Ester is the mother of Jojo Sicat, the husband of Sec. Diokno’s daughter Charlotte,” he said.

“Aminin man ni Sec. Diokno o hindi, balae niya si Edwin at Ester Hamor. Biyenan ito ng anak niya. This, he cannot deny,” he added.

Andaya also said the discovery of the P325-million infrastructure budget for Casiguran “raises a red flag as pieces of evidence already uncovered point to Sec. Diokno’s in-laws as the real beneficiaries of infrastructure projects in Sorsogon.”

Edwin has admitted in an interview that his children entered a “joint venture with CT Leoncio Construction and Trading,” Andaya noted.

He further said documents would show that Hamor’s daughter, Maria Minez Hamor, owns Aremar Construction Corp., a partner of C.T. Leoncio.

He went on to disclose that there were allegedly at least four joint ventures between Aremar and CT Leoncio in Sorsogon.

“These projects include the P49-million highway improvement for Aruman-Casiguran Road; P96-million construction of Barcilona-Casiguran diversion road; P115-million tourism road leading to Bulusan National Park; and the P289-million Daang Maharlika Section in the 1st District of Sorsogon. These projects alone cost the taxpayers a total of P550 million,” Andaya said.

“We are not surprised that the P325-million new projects for Casiguran turn out to be flood-mitigating projects. These are the pet projects of Sec. Diokno, whose new advocacy is climate change,” he added.

Andaya said they will “quiz the DPWH on the sudden surge of billion-peso allocations for flood-mitigation projects.”

But he also said: “We hope Secretary Diokno will reconsider his decision not to appear in the hearings to be conducted by the House Rules Committee on the questionable allocations by the DBM in the national budget. He has a lot of explaining to do.” /kga