Singson denies link to ‘right of way’scam

Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/Noy Morcoso

Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson told a Senate hearing on Monday that he had found suspicious the unusually high road right-of-way claims in General Santos City.

Despite the red flag, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under his watch still paid over P2 billion to the dubious claims, which a whistle-blower recently claimed were part of a scam that defrauded the government P8.7 billion during the Aquino administration.

At the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on public works, Singson denied he was involved in the scam. He said he authorized the payments based on the documents forwarded by the
DPWH Region 12 office to the DPWH Central Office.

He also cleared the sister and brother-in-law of former President Benigno Aquino III of allegedly intervening to release the payments.