Ombudsman notes several lost and defective lampposts

Cebu - Close to 200 decorative lampposts installed two years ago along the ceremonial route for the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu are either missing or defective.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago yesterday said that based on the report of the Department of Public Works and Highways, 168 decorative lampposts installed in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu that are missing.

DPWH regional director Josefino Rigor also reported to the anti-graft office last Tuesday that there are 48 others that have been found to be defective.

The Ombudsman summoned the DPWH officials to a meeting last Tuesday after receiving reports that some of the 1,800 controversial decorative lampposts have either been stolen or pilfered.

According to Santiago, Rigor confirmed that some of the lampposts are already missing.

Santiago said that the DPWH officials have already promised to secure the decorative lamps especially that these are considered evidence in the graft cases that the Ombudsman have filed before the Sandiganbayan against 21 public officials allegedly involved in the anomalous procurement.

Santiago said an inventory is still being conducted by the DPWH to determine whether the 168 missing lampposts are part of what have already been paid by the government.

Santiago explained that although the controversial project has not yet been formally turned over to the government by the contractors — Fabmik and Gampik, but the government has already paid more than P100 million out of the total P365 million project cost.

The supposed full payment of the project was stalled after the Ombudsman issued a freeze order on the payment of the balance amounting to more than P200 million because of the investigation.

On top of the missing and defective lampposts the DPWH officials also reported that there were about five to six lampposts uprooted by two malls because they obstructed their establishments.

Santiago said the uprooting of the lampposts by the two malls did not have clearance from the Sandiganbayan, which already has jurisdiction of the cases wherein these lampposts are vital evidence.

Santiago said the DPWH officials recommended that the decorative lampposts be used by the local government units for the meantime even if these have not yet been turned over by the contractors.

Santiago said she will again call another meeting with the mayors of Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and representatives of the contractors to discuss the proposal.

Santiago explained that the decorative lampposts have been susceptible to thievery and pilferage because nobody seems to care. — Fred P. Languido/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)