5 PEA officials dismissed over scam

The Public Estates Authority (PEA) board of directors finally implemented yesterday the dismissal of five of its senior officials involved in the allegedly anomalous construction of a stretch of the President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard (PDMB) in Pasay City.

President Arroyo had announced her decision to dismiss the five PEA officials last Dec. 30 in a policy speech.

PEA general manager Teodorico Taguinod Jr. told The STAR that notices were served yesterday to deputy general managers Theron Lacson and Manuel Berina, assistant general manager Jaime Millan, deputy manager Bernardo Viray, and senior corporate attorney Ernesto Enriquez.

The dismissal will take effect five days after the notice is served.

Critics said the PEA management has blatantly defied the President by delaying the implementation of the order.

Taguinod said the implementation was finally carried out after the board received a "strongly worded" memorandum from Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo asking for an explanation why the five officials have not yet been dismissed.

"In a meeting last July 25, the board confirmed the dismissal since all were present," Taguinod said.

He said the board would have implemented the dismissals earlier but there were only four members present when it was discussed in another, much earlier meeting.

Former PEA board director Sulficio Tagud Jr. revealed last September that the 2.3-kilometer portion of PDMB built by JD Legaspi Corp. (JDLC) was reportedly overpriced by some P600 million. With this, he said the 5.1-kilometer PDMB cost some P1.1 billion, making it the most expensive road in the country. – Nikko Dizon

This has resulted in graft charges filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against the five PEA officials and contractor Jesusito Legaspi.

Taguinod had earlier taken up the cudgels for the five beleaguered officials when he said he found credible a report by the Commission on Audit declaring the PDMB above board. The report was released almost two months ago.

In earlier interviews, Taguinod said due process must be observed in implementing the President’s order because the PEA managers were career officials.

Taguinod, however, said that this time the board would no longer wait for a decision on the graft case pending before the Ombudsman.

"Because the President’s order was based on the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC), there is some semblance, or presumption, of legality (to the decision)," he said.

Based on PAGC’s investigation, the five PEA officials were involved in an anomalous contract with JDLC, which constructed a portion of the PDMB.