Greg to submit evidence of substandard road asphalting projects

CEBU, Philippines - The verbal attacks between Capitol’s legislative and executive department continue. 

Yesterday, Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez announced that he will submit to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas evidence to support his allegations of substandard road asphalting projects done by the Cebu Provincial Government.

The vice governor further stated that he will no longer respond to statements coming from lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, Capitol consultant on information and revenue generation.

Earlier, Sanchez had asked the Commission on Audit (COA) and the anti-graft office to look into what he believes were irregularities on the road asphalting project of the Province. The vice governor, who had severed ties with the governor’s One Cebu party shortly before the last elections, told reporters that he now has in his position some evidence to reinforce his claim.

He presented to reporters some videos and photographs of roads in different towns, including from the three-town Bantayan island. He also showed pictures of the alleged substandard asphalting projects in Barangay Sangi, San Fernando, southern Cebu, as well as those of Barangays Guimbawian and Lut-od in Pinamungajan and Barangay Mantalongon in Dalaguete.

He alleged that in some places, the asphalt was mixed with limestone. He said the Province should immediately act on these roads considering that the rainy season is here.

But Sepulveda downplayed the vice governor’s claims, reiterating the five-year warranty from the private contractor. He said that the standards of the provincial road asphalting projects are based on the standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Sepulveda welcomed the move of Sanchez to raise this issue before the anti-graft office. Sanchez had pointed out the inclusion of the Barangay Guimbal to Basak, Compostela road in the Capitol asphalting project, saying that this is already asphalted but damaged.

In response, Sepulveda said that Sanchez does not know the place because the road from Guimbal to Basak was asphalted during the time of former governor and now Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, second district). Earlier, Gov. Garcia had cited that she started the asphalting of provincial roads when she assumed office in 2004. Since that year, the Province allocated a total of P1.8 billion for the road asphalting project alone. — THE FREEMAN