Road opening probe sought

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Council wants an investigation into the alleged “irregularities” of Phase 2 of a  road opening project in Brgy. Poblacion Pardo, where a contractor has allegedly been awarded the project even if the plan has no council approval yet.

This came after the passage of a resolution filed by City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera during their August 14 session.

The resolution was for the approval of the opening of a 2.6-kilometer road  to Brgy. Toong costing P150 million.

Currently, the road leading to Barangay Toong “is very narrow and there were occasions that it is inaccessible during rainy seasons due to landslide”.

It was in 2004 that the Cebu City Government found it imperative to open a road from Poblacion Pardo to Toong, to provide the people of barangays Toong and Pamutan a better access road and "to spur economic development in those barangays".

However, during the City Council discussion, it was  learned that the project's plan has not been approved yet by the City Council, leading to City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco to seek for an executive session.

“We will let them explain,” Pesquera said.

The executive session will be conducted on Sept. 25, 2024, with representatives of the City's Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cebu City District Engineering Office, City Planning and Development Office, Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Bids and Awards Committee, in attendance.

Pesquera reiterated that to be able to get the other permits, the road plan must be approved firsthand.

According to her, the road plan was based on the parcellary survey.

She said that during the approval and implementation of Phase 1 last 2007, there was confusion about the exact location for the road. l

Pesquera said a detailed road plan with attached technical locations must be first approved before the actual implementation of the project.

“This way, we can be assured that the contractor, if ever there will be one on the implementing office, the DEPW, will comply based on the location, the actual technical location, the longitude and latitude of the property that will be affected,” she said.

The councilor said that right after the approval of the road plan, they will be go through the tax declarations of these parcels of land to also identify if private individuals would be affected.

City Councilor Nestor Archival also raised the inaccuracy of the Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), which states that only 2 kilometers out of the 2.6 kilometers presented were included in the submitted documents.

Pesquera, however, argued that the proposal she sought for approval is only the Road Opening Plan and the CNC is attached only under the endorsement portion.

Councilor Joel Garganera further explained that before the proposal, there was already an approved Phase 1, which covers at least 1.8 kilometers, although the finished work reached only 1.2 kilometers.

Currently, an investigation is ongoing for Phase 1 relative to the unaligned scope of work according to its approved road plan.

“Because right now, we don’t really know what is happening in Phase 1. We don’t know where is it going. So karon amo nang gitan-aw didto, instead of 1.8 kilometers and ilang natrabaho is 500 meters,” Archival alleged, saying it is another matter that needed to be discussed.

Garganera said Phase 2 covers the remaining allowable length, which is at 600 meters, and was not being worked on during the first phase.

Cuenco also disclosed that Phase 1, which is still unfinished, costs at least P22.5 million, which has already been paid to its contractor, J and J Construction.

He said Phase 2 will be nationally funded through South District Congressman Edu Rama.

He also sought for clarification if there is duplication in the funding, if it is from the local government or from the national government.

Pesquera said the DEPW will be the one to explain this.(CEBU NEWS)