DPWH chief sees politics behind bunkhouse controversy

MANILA, Philippines –Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson on Monday said local politics might be behind the allegations that the government is building overpriced bunkhouses for Supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors.

DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson. FILE PHOTO

“There is politics involved. That much I can tell,” the Secretary said in a press briefing when asked if he believed the overpricing issue was a valid accusation.

Singson talked with rehabilitation czar Secretary Panfilo Lacson on Monday morning and learned that the allegations came from a municipality in Samar.

“I suspect there’s politics involved…in Eastern Samar,” Singson repeated when pressed for more details.

“Just ask Secretary Lacson,” he said.

Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday reported on the accusations that bunkhouses for typhoon survivors were overpriced. It said a municipal engineer of a municipality in Eastern Samar gave Lacson the details on the failure of private contractors to comply with government specifications, resulting in overpriced units.

But DPWH director for Eastern Visayas Rolando Asis maintained that the department’s specifications were being complied with faithfully and that mayors had agreed to the project.

The article said there were allegations that the contractors were recommended by an administration politician.

Singson clarified that there was a difference between overpricing and “underspecification.”

“Some of the contractors may not have followed the specifications. And therefore we refer to them as ‘underspecs.’ Those are two different problems – overpricing and underspecifications,” he said.

“If the contractors did not follow the specifications that we gave them, they will not be paid unless they correct or rectify to meet our standards,” Singson added.

He even offered to resign if it was indeed true that there was overpricing.

He defined overpricing as “the specifications detailed, given by DPWH, and the unit price of these bunkhouses is above what normally would be in the market place.”

The Secretary will go to Tacloban City on Tuesday to personally check on the bunkhouses.

He said he had seen some of the structures last week and believes they are not overpriced.

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