Aquino urged to review 'midnight deals'

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino was asked yesterday to review, and to cancel if necessary, not only midnight appointments but also “midnight deals and contracts” entered into by officials of the Arroyo administration.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, a former journalist, made the appeal as he revealed that former public works and highways secretary Victor Domingo inexplicably transferred P18 million in road funds to the town of Guiuan in his province five days before he resigned on June 30.

Evardone said the funds have been allocated for the rehabilitation and widening of a portion of the national highway in Guiuan and Domingo’s personnel in the province have already started the bidding process for the project.

“They have advertised the project twice and have attracted at least eight bidders, who have already purchased bidding documents. Amid his field personnel’s preparations, out of the blue, Domingo transferred the funds to the town of Guiuan under a memorandum of agreement (MOA),” Evardone said.

“He (Domingo) did not consult his district engineer; he did not consult his regional director for Eastern Visayas, not even his undersecretary for the Visayas. He alone made the decision, which is highly suspicious and questionable,” he said.

Evardone expressed concern that the P18 million might be dissipated, since the recipient-town “does not have engineering personnel and equipment, and therefore does not possess the capability to implement the project.”

“We don’t want any more taxpayers’ money wasted on projects poorly done and on things that my province mates do not need. For instance, we have so many road signs and railings along roads that are rutted and need repairs. The money should have instead been used for rehabilitating these thoroughfares,” he said.

Evardone said the road signs and railings were the projects of his predecessor, former Rep. Teodulo Coquilla.

“I do not know why tens of millions in public funds had to be spent on these materials when the money would have been put to better use had they repaired the rutted roads instead,” he said.

There are other road projects undertaken in the dying hours of the previous administration.

In Quezon City, residents could not understand why the entire Elliptical Circle and parts of Quezon Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue had to be pockmarked with catch eye markers just a few days before President Aquino assumed office.

Irate residents called radio stations to complain the markers have no use for motorists and even pose a hazard for them, especially those using motorcycles.

They pointed out the steel markers could puncture the tires of their vehicles and displace their ball joints.

Several motorcyclists have already figured in accidents in the area, either by avoiding or hitting the steel obstructions.

“Those behind this project are scraping the bottom of the barrel so that President Noynoy (Aquino) would be left with no funds to spend,” an angry resident said.

He said the money spent for the markers could have been better spent for road widening or concreting.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) along Elliptical Road is another agency where last-minute transactions have been reported.

NHA employees have complained that their officials have bought 41 units of Toyota Innova “J” variant worth a total of P37 million about a month before the Arroyo administration exited.

The units were reportedly overpriced by P80,000 each, or by more than P3.2 million. They were procured at P900,000 each. Toyota’s website puts the price of its “J” variant at P858,000 and offers a P40,000 discount.

The Innovas were to replace old but still running Isuzu and Mitsubishi utility vehicles, which are now rotting at the NHA compound.

NHA and other housing agencies were under the supervision of former vice president Noli de Castro.