Casiguran mayor denies Aremar firm ‘cornered’ P551-M gov’t contracts

MANILA, Philippines — Casiguran Mayor Jose Edwin Hamor on Thursday refuted claims that Aremar Construction Corporation, his daughter’s firm, “cornered” government contracts in the Sorsogon province.

This was after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) revealed in a document that Aremar cornered P551 million worth of government contracts, noting that it had a joint-venture agreement with CT Leoncio Construction and Trading.

READ: Diokno in-laws’ firm got P551-M projects

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. also disclosed that the Department of Budget and Management had granted CT Leoncio government projects long before Congress examined the proposed P3.8-trillion national budget for 2019. Three road projects were found in Hamor’s town, Casiguran.

Aremar is owned by the Hamor family, which had relations with Budget Secretary Bejamin Diokno.

Hamor is the husband of Sorsogon Vice Gov. Ester Hamor, the mother of Diokno’s son-in-law, Romeo Sicat Jr.

Meanwhile, Hamor explained that the construction firm was owned by his daughter, Maria Minez Hamor, after he assumed as mayor in 2016.

“Aremar was established in 2014 when I was out of government and I was in the private sector. I divested before I assumed as mayor in 2016 in favor of my sister, Grace Hamor-Yu, and my daughter, Maria Minez Hamor,” Hamor said. “Maria is my daughter outside of wedlock before I married Esther Hamor, who is the actual in-law of Diokno. Maria Hamor now owns majority of Aremar.”

Hamor also clarified that Aremar and CT Leoncio Construction and Trading are not partners but are only involved in a joint venture for four infrastructure projects in Sorsogon.

“Joint ventures are legal and allowed by the DPWH if it has a Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board approval and special license for joint venture purposes,” he said.

It was earlier revealed, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that Hamor was the biggest shareholder of Aremar. /ee

READ: Andaya: Contractors are being used as fronts for Aremar