Group asks COA to look into Public Works projects in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY , Philippines — A citizens' group is seeking a thorough probe into at least 10 multimillion-peso Public Works projects in the Cordillera that have been awarded to a single contractor.

Anti-corruption watchdog Citizens Crime Watch said its suspicions were bolstered by Commission on Audit findings that 2,334 infrastructure projects worth  P62.59 billion undertaken by Department of Public Works and Highways in 2017 were not completed within the specific contract time or target completion dates.

The CCW in the Cordillera has written Director Joseph Anacay of COA-Cordillera, that "with the implementation of the numerous multimillion projects, wherein some have allegedly expired contract time and expiring contract time," the commission should check projects by contractor Jomarcann General Construction.

“Auditors must see if there are no factual negative slippages of the projects, if the projects have negative slippages, is the contractor qualified to bid or awarded more projects in the region, check on the additional P100 million worth of projects awarded to the contractor despite such slippages and whether or not the award of more projects to a lone contractor is in violation of the procurement laws, rules and regulations,” Citizens Crime Watch – Cordillera Secretary-General Salvador Liked urged the COA-CAR.

Among the projects that the group is asking COA to check are:

• Rehabilitation along Halsema Highway – P210.3 million
• Construction of science laboratory at the Irisan National High School – P17.1 million
• Network development or road widening – P19.4 million
• Improvement along Jose Mencio farm-to-market road – P183.9 million
• Construction of 4-storey science laboratory at the Baguio City National High School – P39.2 million
• Construction of 4-storey science laboratory at the Sto. Tomas National High School – P37.9 million
• Road upgrading along Amburayan-Boneng provincial road – P43.8 million
• Rehabilitation of Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun Road –  P40 million
• Construction of road leading to Mountain Province Polytechnic College property in Mt. Province –  P18 million

Liked said COA-CAR should check "if a single contractor is being favored to implement various infrastructure projects in the different parts of CAR as if he is the only qualified contractor to bid all the said projects and implement (them) at the same time.”

Joselito Tan, owner of Jomarcann General Construction, however suspects his firm's projects are being subjected to false claims, adding all of the projects are open for scrutiny.  "Many people are just jealous," he said in Filipino.

Tan also said that his construction firm is currently only working on three projects, one which has been stopped because of non-payment. He said four other projects are under joint ventures.  “There are only two ongoing projects which are under Jomarcann,”  he said.