DPWH readies raps vs execs in car repair anomaly

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to charge several of its officials in connection with the alleged P120-million irregularity in the repairs of its service vehicles.

This developed as the DPWH’s Commission on Audit (COA) officer was reportedly offered one of the 17 Mitsubishi L-200 vans that went "missing" in 1999.

The 17 vans are part of the 170 vehicles delivered to the DPWH in the $692-million Asian Development Bank-assisted project, but failed to reach their various destinations where they were supposed to be used.

Malacañang ordered on Wednesday a speedy investigation of the anomaly, which appeared to have been tolerated in the past in exchange for the assignment of the vehicles in question to some DPWH officials.

Sources said that COA resident auditor Manolo Sy was offered one of the vehicles during an investigation to locate the "missing" vehicles, but Sy reportedly refused the offer.

Sources said several DPWH officials have as many as five vehicles assigned to them.

Documents obtained by The STAR showed that the "missing" vehicles ended up being recorded in the police blotter only after they were stolen, involved in an accident, or in dilapidated condition.

A report by COA on the alleged anomaly showed that from the initial amount of P36 million for 2,000 repair job orders recorded in the internal audit report in 2001, the amount has leaped to P120 million and is expected to hit the P150-million mark. – Jose Aravilla