07/09/2025
๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar โ House Minority Leader and 4Ps Partylist Rep. Marcelino โNonoyโ Libanan, in a joint press conference with Eastern Samar Lone District Representative Congressman Christopher Sheen Gonzales at 4PS Congressional District Office on Saturday, September 6, said he has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Office VIII to launch a thorough probe into alleged anomalies surrounding multi-million-peso flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Eastern Samar
๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar โ House Minority Leader and 4Ps Partylist Rep. Marcelino โNonoyโ Libanan, in a joint press conference with Eastern Samar Lone District Representative Congressman Christopher Sheen Gonzales at 4PS Congressional District Office on Saturday, September 6, said he has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Office VIII to launch a thorough probe into alleged anomalies surrounding multi-million-peso flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Eastern Samar.
In his letter to NBI Regional Director Atty. Emerio Dongallo Jr., Libanan said several flood control projects reported as nearly completed on paper do not match the actual situation on the ground.
He pointed out that while contractors have already been paid tens of millions, construction works remain either delayed, substandard, or barely started.
๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐
One of the projects questioned is the โฑ192.39-million flood control structure in Barangay Batang, Hernani, awarded to Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor and Development Corp., owned by controversial contractors Sarah and Pacifico Discaya.
Records obtained by Eastern Samar Rep. Sheen Gonzales show that the project was bid out on April 1, 2024.
Based on DPWH reports, the project has already reached 84.72 percent completion. But Gonzales said their actual inspection revealed that work done on the site was less than five percent.
Despite this, DPWH has already released โฑ37.21 million or 30.03 percent of the project cost to the contractor.
DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon, in a recent joint committee hearing of the House Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works and Highways, and Good Government, admitted the project was delayed due to environmental, social, and political issues.
He explained that residents and local officials had requested revisions to the original plan, causing further setbacks.
Tabacon also clarified that the accomplishment report was outdated as the project was under suspension due to right-of-way issues and the absence of necessary clearances.
However, Hernani Mayor Amado Candido disputed Tabaconโs claim, saying his office was never informed of the project.
โI only learned of this big-ticket project after the election when I saw heavy equipment in the area,โ Candido said.
He added that he discovered the projectโs existence only after a tarpaulin signage was posted, indicating a supposed completion date of January 25, 2025. Candido also questioned the quality of initial works done in the site.
Another flood control project flagged by Libanan is located in Barangay San Miguel, Llorente, where a structure supposedly reported as 82.3 percent complete had just begun ground works two weeks ago.
The project, bid out on April 5, 2024 and set to expire on January 29, 2025, is being undertaken by YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc., also owned by the Discayas.
Former Llorente Mayor Daniel โDandanโ Boco shared the same concerns, saying he too had no knowledge of the project.
He lamented that despite being unaware of the construction, some social media posts had dragged his name into the controversy.
โI was surprised to see heavy equipment in the barangay. These projects are supposed to undergo prior consultation with local chief executives, but that did not happen,โ Boco said in vernacular during the conference, adding that many other mayors in Eastern Samar had similar complaints when he was still president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP).
๐ข๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐
Libanan further cited flood control projects in Divinubo, Borongan City, which was supposed to be completed this year but remains nonexistent despite the contractor already receiving 15 percent of the payment.
Another โฑ186-million flood control project in Barangay Siha, Borongan has also been declared 68 percent complete, though actual work has only just begun. Media reports also showed that the contractor has already collected over 30 percent of the contract cost.
The lawmaker recalled that during the House budget deliberations, he had questioned DPWH officials, including newly installed Secretary Vince Dizon, about the agencyโs proposed โฑ881-billion budget, of which โฑ250 billion or 32 percent was allocated for flood control projects.
โWhat is in those budgets?โ Libanan asked, stressing the need to scrutinize the implementation of these projects in the province.
He added that together with Rep. Sheen Gonzales, he will personally visit project sites and consult with communities. โWe will continue to fight for the people of Eastern Samar in Congress,โ Libanan said.
๐ก๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ
For his part, NBI Region VIII Director Atty. Emerio Dongallo Jr. assured immediate action on Libananโs request. โWe will dig deep into this, and we will make sure that cases will be filed if we find anomalies in these projects,โ Dongallo said.
| BMA
