Contractors support suspended engineers

THREE Cebu City engineers who were meted preventive suspension by the Ombudsman-Visayas received support from 15 City Hall contractors.

In a March 5 letter addressed to Mayor Michael Rama, the 15 contractors expressed their full support for Engrs. June Nadine Sison, Juanito Pua Jr. and Joel Pasatiempo.

The three are facing an investigation for anti-graft and corrupt practices, grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct and conduct unbecoming of government employees.

Signatories to the March 5 letter addressed to Mayor Rama said they haven’t experienced any extortion from the three engineers.

Engr. Roberto Montenegro of the FE and A Construction Services accused Asst. City Engr. Sison, Pua and Pasatiempo of asking for a camera and computer unit to replace their units that bogged down.

FE and A Construction worked on the stone masonry work in sitio Riverside in Sanciangko Street in barangay Pahina Central and the Toong road concreting projects when the alleged extortion attempt occured last year.

The Ombudsman-Visayas ordered the preventive suspension of the three engineers pending the investigation of their case.  Mayor Rama, who received the suspension order last month referred the case to the City Legal Office for review.

“Who’s in a hurry? The Ombudsman already made the recommendation.  We just have to follow what ought to be done,” he said.

Signatories of the March 5 letter to Rama said they refuse to believe the charges against the three engineers.

Contractors said in their letter that they believe that the complaint against the three City Hall engineers stemmed from their refusal to already release the 10 percent project retention to Montenegro.

“As contractors, we are fully aware that the 10 percent retention can only be released after the project is accepted by the city…. Of course, the city can only accept the project if (it’s done) based strictly on the Programs of Works and Estimates (POWE).”

Contractors said they received information that Montenegro’s road concreting in the mountain barangay of Toong was “poorly constructed” and “did not in any way strictly complied with the approved POWE.”

“Therefore, Engrs. Sison, Pua and Pasatiempo are only doing their jobs in upholding the law when they refused to recommend the release of the 10 percent  retention,” the contractors told Rama. Correspondent Edison delos Angeles