Lamppost controversy: Group supports inclusion of DPWH executives in probe

CEBU, Philippines - The leader of the anti-corruption network, “Ehem!” is supporting the call for an intensive investigation into the lamppost controversy that would include officials of the Department of Works and Highways in Manila and other ranking officials who may have a hand in the alleged anomalous project that was used during the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007 in Cebu.

Rev. Fr. Albert Alejo, who was in town yesterday for the Visayas convention of Ehem anti-corruption movement and the signing of the memorandum of agreement for the operation “Huli Ka” believes that an intensive investigation would give light to the controversy.

“I would support the call for an intensive investigation. If it would lead to national officials so be it,” Alejo told The FREEMAN.

He believes that the investigation being conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman is not enough because the people who are allegedly responsible for the anomalous transaction remained on the loose.

“Let justice be served. The people deserve justice and the lampposts are monument of injustice,” Alejo added.

The Ombudsman, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and other government agencies yesterday vowed to fight corruption with the signing of a memorandum of agreement for the “Huli Ka” entrapment operation.

It is a sequel to the Ehem anti-coruption movement, which is more on whistle-blowing campaign. In the “huli ka” entrapment operation, the public will be seeing arrests of corrupt government officials and employees.

Alejo challenged the Huli Ka task force to work and bring the people behind the lampposts controversy before the bar of justice.

“We would like to support your struggle to shed light on this lamppost. Sana ho, mahuli na,” Alejo said.

One of the defense lawyers of the Mandaue City officials who were indicted in the lamppost cases before the Sandiganbayan earlier asked the Ombudsman to include national officials in the reinvestigation of the cases.

Lawyer Gloria Lastimosa Dalawampu, counsel of former Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and engineers Hidelisa Latonio and Gregorio Omo, said the Ombudsman has not been thorough in their investigation because officials from Manila were excluded.

Dalawampu said the anti-graft office instead focused its investigation on local officials of the DPWH, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City who are not actually signatories of the contract.

If there were DPWH regional officials who signed the contract, she added it was because DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane delegated them to sign it.

Dalawampu claimed she had been raising this point but the Ombudsman Visayas allegedly refused to see it.

Ouano, Latonio and Omo are among the local officials indicted by the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan over the anomalous lamppost procurement. The other accused are engineers Mario Gerolaga, Alfredo Sanchez, Jr. and Rosalina Denque all of Mandaue City.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and his men, Fernando Tagaan Jr. and Rogelio Veloso, together with former DPWH regional director Robert Lala and seven other public works officials were also among the accused. — Fred P. Languido/WAB   (THE FREEMAN)