Bohol exec: Roxas gago

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines —After Secretary Mar Roxas scolded two Bohol mayors last Wednesday, another mayor came to their defense, revealing that guidelines in the crafting of program of works and estimates  were released only this August, or two months after the distribution of checks.

Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco said some provisions of the guidelines were also not favorable for a smooth-sailing completion of the POWEs.

Roxas reprimanded the mayors of Clarin and Sagbayan towns during a Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting, exactly a year after a powerful earthquake struck the province.

He was angry that the two mayors have not complied with even half of the total number of POWEs that the national government required for the implementation of post-earthquake projects in their respective local government units.

Clarin received P51.8 million for 15 supposed post-earthquake projects and but the mayor has not submitted even a single POWE.  Sagbayan received P216.7 million from the Bohol Emergency Assistance fund through the Department of Interior and Local Government for 65 projects but submitted only three POWEs.

“Sasabunin tayo ng pangulo nyan at lalo na ng boss natin, ang mga mamamayan,” a pissed off Roxas addressed the local officials.

But Evasco lashed back at Roxas for blaming the mayors, citing command responsibility.

“Gago na si Roxas! Pakasad-on gyud niya ang mga mayor?... Iyang kaugalingon iyang dapat kasab-an kay nganong dugay nila gi-release ang guidelines? (Roxas is an idiot)” a fuming Evasco told reporters yesterday.

“Gidungan unta na pagpanghatag sa tseke adtong June. Nganong August ra man na gihatag,” he added.

Evasco said the lack of competent engineers is not the issue but rather the confusing provisions of the guidelines issued to the mayors.

“Sige na’g lalis bahin sa technicalities. Hasta ECC (environment compliance certificate) ug titulo sa yuta amo pang i-submit? Government-owned na gani. Then they insist that guidelines must be followed,” Evasco continued.

The feisty mayor added that meetings have been done before August amid the absence of the guidelines.

Like Evasco, other Bohol mayors did not attend the PDRRMC meeting at the Bohol Tropics resort in Tagbilaran City.

Clarin Mayor Allen Piezas, for his part, clarified that while the DILG has yet to approve their POWE, they have already submitted four proposals, which are still for revalidation by the reviewing board composed of representatives from DILG, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Bohol Provincial Engineering Office.

He was referring to the reconstruction of Buacao Barangay Hall, Caluwasa Barangay Hall, and Tangaran Barangay Hall, and the rehabilitation of Bonbon bridge.

Piezas said another set of POWEs will be submitted “very soon.”  They include that for the rehabilitation of Clarin Municipal Hall and Clarin Multi-purpose Center, and the reconstruction of Tontunan Barangay Hall.

Sagbayan Mayor Ricardo Suarez was not available for interview yesterday.

Since the local officials reasoned that they lack the technical experience in coming up with a POWE despite being given an appropriation for the hiring of 15 structural engineers to assist them, Roxas directed DPWH-7 Director Ador Canlas to hire 20 more engineers.

Funding for the additional engineers would be sourced from the national government.  Roxas further instructed Canlas to write an official letter-request regarding the matter.

Before the BPDRRMC meeting ended, Roxas told those around that he would return to Bohol next month to ask for updates and he hoped that construction would finally start before Christmas.

In a separate interview, DILG-7 Director Ananias Villacorta said the mayors did not inform them of the technical difficulties when series of consultations were done following the distribution of checks.

DILG-Bohol Provincial Director Ma. Loisella Lucino said their office has approved 14 completed POWEs of the 1,066 projects.

Seven were approved Friday, October 10, and the other seven just this week.

The League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Bohol Chapter is set to convene next week to discuss and come up with a unified statement on the matter, said Piezas, the LMP-Bohol vice president. (FREEMAN)