Duterte to Sec.Villar: ‘Explain re-blocking’

PANGL AO, BOHOL — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assured Boholanos that he will clarify everything about the ongoing road re-blocking project of the DPWH in Bohol that generated public outcry.

Duterte said: “I will ask DPWH Secretary Villar to come over and explain to the people para ma... Anyway, it's the people's money. So they should... They deserve rather an explanation from the government.”

Duterte breezed into the province to keynote to 25th national convention of the Vice-Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) hosted by Bohol, last June 28, held at Bellevue Resort in Panglao, where Tagbilaran City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso acted as convention director.

The president responded to the query of The Freeman about the re-blocking projects on roads that many even considered as not damaged at all. “So I will ask him (Villar). I'm sure that he'd be listening now. This message is automatically registered doon sa kanyang table. But I'll call him and ask him to come over.”

He admitted that he is not a technical person to explain about the road project. “Pero ang pagka-alam ko kasi, 'yung iba, kadtong nalinog, linog ma'y tawag sa ato, ang akong bankerohan, gibungkag gyud nila.”

“They really destroyed the whole of the stretch of the bridge. Basta kanang murag mabuak na ang foundation,” he said. “I don't know, you had a very strong earthquake here. Nanghinayang ako sa mga --- 'yung mga buildings na matagal na,” apparently referring to centuries-old churches in some towns badly affected by the earthquake.

Two of those (churches) — in Maribojoc and Loon towns — were in total ruins following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that shook Bohol in October 15, 2013. “They must demolish these, as far as I know.”

Recently, Provincial Board Member Tomas Abapo Jr. described the re-blocking as a “waste of funds.” He expressed his disgust over the projects that apparently caused too much delay and inconvenience to the riding public and motorists.

He also decried why the provincial officials and LGUs were neither informed nor consulted of the projects prior to their implementation. The delays in completion of roads and bridges, like those in Makapiko river in Batuan town and at Barangays Hinawanan and Palo in Loay town, which he earlier exposed, have caused too much confusion and inconvenience of the motorists and riding public.

These (delays) have been admitted by DPWH consultant Engr. Masatoshi Kawahara in the project implementation, showed the PB public works committee report presented by its chair PB Member Ricky Masamayor.

Last week, district engineers of DPWH Engineering Districts 1, 2 and 3 were no-show during the PB committee of the whole hearing. They only sent their respective representatives to answer the PB’s questions.