BY IME SORNITO, GLENDA TAYONA and RHENJIE MAE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – Four officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 and two from the project contractor were slapped with charges before the Office of the Ombudsman Region 6 over the defective Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo.
Councilor Plaridel Nava yesterday filed criminal complaints for alleged violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the following:
* Tiburcio DL Canlas – former DPWH-6 director
* Nerie O. Bueno – current DPWH-6 director
* Jose Al V. Fruto – DPWH-6 assistant director
* Ormel Santos – DPWH-6 officer-in-charge, Construction Division
* Helen Edith Lee Tan – International Builders Corp. (IBC) president
* Allen Son Tan – IBC owner, and
* John Does
The complaints were received by Atty. Ronald S. Amador, associate graft investigation officer of the Office of the Ombudsman Region 6.
Nava said DPWH-6 officials should likewise be held administratively liable for alleged gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
In filing the case, he believed the problem will not just be investigated but will also be resolved.
“We have presented a good argument in support to the complainant against the respondents. I am very thankful to our pro-bono lawyers who are here for the cause,” said Nava.
He cited the failure to exercise due diligence in ensuring the quality of the infrastructure project funded by taxpayer’s money.
Moreover, he said the closure of the Ungka flyover has caused enormous inconvenience to the public and such inconvenience cannot be quantified by pecuniary estimation neither can it be reparable.
“Worse than ever, DPWH plans to allocate an additional P250 million for the repair of the flyover. This broad daylight robbery must be stopped,” added Nava.
Pending the outcome of the case, the complainant further prayed that the public respondents should be placed under preventive suspension for at least 90 days.
The Ungka flyover was opened to traffic on the second week of September 2022. But after just two weeks, DPWH closed it due to vertical displacement.
Third-party consulting firm Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants has earlier recommended that DPWH repair the vertical displacement at piers 4, 5 and 6 of the flyover that will entail at least P250 million more to fix it.
Simultaneous with the filing of the complaints was the protest rally staged by progressive groups in support to the legal move of Nava./PN
