House hearing set on Sorsogon projects
The House rules committee has issued subpoenas to the owner of contractor CT Leoncio Construction and several public works officials in Bicol region to shed light on the so-called flood control projects scam and other irregular transactions involving multibillion-peso infrastructure projects in Sorsogon province.
In a statement, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya said the House Secretary General, Dante Roberto Maling, had sought the assistance of the Philippine National Police chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, in locating and serving the subpoenas on the individuals invited to the Jan. 3 committee hearing to be held in Naga City.
The subpoenas were received by the PNP Region 5 as early as Dec. 20, Andaya said.
“We expect the attendance and full cooperation of these people in the House investigation. The House will not hesitate to issue arrest orders should those subpoenaed refuse to appear in our congressional hearings,” he added.
Among those subpoenaed were Consolacion Leoncio, owner of CT Leoncio; and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials Virgilio Eduarte, Danilo Verzola, Ignacio Odiaman, Wilfredo Flores, Larry Reyes, Merla Raveche, Jorge Gorimbao, Victor Azupardo, Gil Augustus Balmadrid, Noland Claro Guerrero; Malou Lacuna, Renato de Vera, and Dr. Elenita Tan.
Infrastructure projects
Andaya said the committee expected CT Leoncio and the DPWH officials to bring with them copies of transaction documents involving the infrastructure projects in question.
The Camarines Sur congressman said the projects were included in the P10-billion infrastructure projects allocated by the DBM to Sorsogon in 2018, most of which were cornered by CT Leoncio Construction and eventually found their way to the construction company owned by the in-laws of the Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
“We want to know how the bidding began for the projects worth P325 million [that were] funded by the Department of Budget and Management for the year 2019 in just one town: Casiguran, Sorsogon. These projects were included in the P75 billion inserted by the DBM in the National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress,” Andaya said.
Flood control program
The P325 million new projects in Casiguran are part of the government’s flood control program, and includes the Himaoyon flood control project (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).
“The DPWH needs to explain to us why flood control projects are flooding Casiguran, the town of Mayor Edwin Hamor who is an in-law of our DBM secretary,” the lawmaker added.
For his part, House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said he planned to attend the hearing in Naga.
