ILOILO – The House Committee on Public Works and Highways will conduct an inquiry into the defective P680-million Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia town.
Committee chairman Rep. Romeo Momo of Surigao del Sur’s 1st District committed to this, according to Iloilo 2nd District’s Rep. Michael Gorriceta.
“Gina-ayu ko gani sa Iloilo ang venue para damo makapamangkot kag makapartisipar,” he told Panay Newsyesterday.
Gorriceta followed up with Momo on Monday, May 29, the status of House Resolution No. 721 calling for a legislative inquiry on the controversial Ungka flyover filed by the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan bloc led by Kabataan Party-list’s Rep. Raoul Daniel A. Manuel, Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene D. Brosas and Act Teachers’ Rep. France L. Castro on Jan. 26.
Gorriceta and Iloilo 3rd District’s Rep. Lorenz Defensor were co-authors of the resolution.
The 2nd District congressman, however, did not give a timeline.
“Depende na sa pleasure sang (committee) chair kag sa mga members kon makakuha sang majority nga mga attendees kag availability sang schedule,” he added.
The inquiry may be held after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24, said Gorriceta.
The resolution was forwarded by the Committee on Rules on Wednesday, May 31, to the Committee on Public Works and Highways before the session of Congress adjourned.
Gorriceta said he told Momo “ginahulat na sang tanan kag madugay na ang bantay kag kinahanglan nga maaktohan na gid.”
He also spoke with Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday regarding the additional funds needed for the flyover’s repair.
“Hambal ko naga-cause na gid traffic kag grabe na gid ang delay sang project so nagpangayo ko bulig sa iya…whatever intervention ang ma-desisyonan sang DPWH,” said Gorriceta.
Defensor welcomes inquiry
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said Congress is welcome to conduct a legislative inquiry.
“Ma-gain traction na ang investigation in Congress on that project. We welcome that development and we look forward to the results,” he said.
Defensor further appealed to the DPWH to work on a specific solution and expedite its implementation. Seeking accountability should come after this, he said.
The four-lane, 453.7-meter-long 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 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.
The firm, which DPWH tapped to conduct a geotechnical audit of the flyover, gave a 10-month timeline to complete the rectification./PN
