Tarlac mayor issues gag order on questioned housing project

BAMBAN, Tarlac — Apparently feeling the heat over the controversies surrounding the housing project named after President Arroyo for Mt. Pinatubo victims, this town’s beleaguered mayor has just issued a memorandum suppressing the release of any public document without his prior approval.

This, even as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has denied any involvement in the so-called GMA-DSWD Core Housing Project being implemented by Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion, which Interior and Local Government Sec. Jose Lina has ordered investigated following reports that it was overpriced and substandard.

"Effective immediately, asking (for) written documents from other office(s) and appearance at the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) are prevented.

Authority from the Office of the Municipal Mayor should be asked before doing any action," said Anunciacion in his memorandum order number 01-03.

The mayor’s directive came only a few days after Lina ordered Rodolfo Farraren, regional director for Central Luzon of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), to investigate the housing project in Barangay Lourdes at the Dapdap resettlement site here, which involves the construction of 140 houses.

Municipal Councilor Rodolfo Escoto condemned the mayor’s directive, saying that it violates basic rights to freedom of expression and press freedom, as well as the media’s right of access to public documents.

He added that Anunciacion appears to be wanting to suppress the municipal council in its investigation on the alleged anomaly.

"This is an outright disrespect on the democratic principle of check-and-balance with regards the specific functions of the executive and legislative branches of government," Escoto charged.

Municipal engineer Jose Vital said in a report to the municipal council that "the newly-constructed housing units were not in conformity with the approved program of work for the project."

Apostol doubted if indeed each of the newly-built homes cost P53,000, pointing out that they have an average measurement of only four meters in length and three meters in width.

Moreover, it was discovered that this town’s housing project was pushed through by Anunciacion at the Dapdap resettlement site without the prior approval of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council’s Pinatubo Project Management Office. — Benjie Villa