As “Overpriced” bunkhouses probe starts palace denies substandard work

CEBU, Philippines -  While the PNP has formed a six-man team to look into the alleged overpricing of bunkhouses being built for Yolanda survivors in Eastern Visayas, Malacañang yesterday denied allegations that these were subpar and not suitable shelters.

Saying the country has its own standards, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said he was told by DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson that the bunkhouses were not in violation of the Philippine Building Code.

“We are following our own standards. We don’t necessarily have to follow international standards. But because our concern is safety, our concern is they should not be congested,” Lacierda said.

The Palace official said international standards require a bunkhouse unit size to be 20 square meters. “Our concern is for safety and that (a family) will not be placed in a cramped space,” he said.

Singson on Monday said the bunkhouses were originally designed to  have 24 room units that will each accommodate one family, but after international agencies commented that one room unit is too tight, these were reconfigured to have 12 room units.

He said that, in the redesigned bunkhouses, a family can now occupy 17.28 square meters. “That is already acceptable to international standards,” which require a temporary shelter of about three square meters per person.

Lacierda said, “These are just temporary shelters. We are moving towards [building] permanent shelters,” adding that these bunkhouses were designed to be humane and larger families will not be made to live in a small unit. “If you’re a family of more than five, you cannot be squeezed into one unit of that 12-family bunkhouse. You have to be given two,” he said. “They’re people (typhoon survivors). We are taking care of them. Their concern is our concern,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a GMA-7 News report yesterday, Chief Supt. Benjamin Tagalong, chief of the CIDG, said the PNP probe team was already been deployed to Eastern Visayas for the investigation on overpricing allegations.

Tagalong however did not name the members of the team, which he said was a mix of police officers from the PNP headquarters and the Police Regional Office-8.

“Basta nag-umpisa kaming magkaroon ng preliminary investigation. Mayroon na kaming tao doon,” Tagalong said, adding that the CIDG has established some “sources of information” in the area, but will not be inviting personalities for questioning any time soon.

Singson earlier denied irregularities in the construction and even offered to resign if overpricing in these projects are proven.

Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson earlier said he sought the help of the CIDG in investigating the involvement of at least one politician in the reported irregularity, and on reports of 30 to 35 percent cut received by some individuals from the project.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, for his part, defended Singson by describing the secretary as “the most honest, efficient, and decisive public works secretary he has seen throughout the last few administrations.” — The Philippine Star News Service with wire reports (FREEMAN)