Batangas City, Philippines – Newly-elected Congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste has called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cooperate in the ongoing investigation into alleged substandard projects in the 1st District of Batangas.
Leviste hired engineers and consultants, also seeking help from engineers of the affected local government units (LGUs). They were tasked to conduct a technical audit of the district’s major infrastructure projects.
Flood control projects along the Binambang River in Balayan, Batangas are estimated to be worth around ₱1 billion. It was discovered that the sheet piles for this project measured only 3.9 to 5.5 meters instead of the required 15 meters.
The DPWH has ordered the replacement of the sheet piles at the contractor’s expense, but has yet to explain why shorter piles were initially used.
A similar case was discovered along the Pansipit River in Lemery, Batangas, also with flood control projects worth about ₱1 billion. The sheet piles there measured only 6.1 to 9.1 meters instead of the required 12 meters. After the audit, the sheet piles were removed from the site.
The local government of Lemery confirmed that they were not informed about the project, which also had no building permit. The DPWH has since recommended terminating the contract and withholding further funds from the contractor.
Meanwhile, a recently widened section of the Diokno Highway in Calaca, Batangas collapsed during Typhoon Crising. According to the DPWH, additional funding would be needed for repairs since the collapse was caused by the strong typhoon and not the contractor’s fault.
Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan announced the preventive suspension of the Batangas 1st District Engineer for allegedly attempting to bribe the congressman. Alongside this, assistant district engineers and all section chiefs were reassigned to the regional office.
Congressman Leviste continues to urge the DPWH to act on these issues, stressing that the Batangas 1st District Engineering Office still needs DPWH’s help in the investigation.
The congressman further emphasized that the local government alone cannot resolve the problems concerning these projects.—Chandra Salayog, Contributor