Squabbles may derail P80-M infra projects in South

COTABATO CITY - Squabbles by "interested parties" on how to implement some P80 million worth of congressional grants are feared to delay local infrastructure projects and possibly cause the funds to be reverted to the national coffers.

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, who was responsible for securing the grants, said while he wants the projects -- a flyover, a circumferential road and a coliseum in the heart of the city - built by an Army engineering battalion, the Region 12 (Central Mindanao) office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is insisting that they be handled by a legitimate private contractor.

"I am opposed to this because contractors in the city do not have good records of project accomplishment. One of them even abandoned the implementation of Phases 2 and 3 of the circumferential road project," an irate Dilangalen said in an interview with Catholic radio station dxMS.

The circumferential road will connect farming communities to the city proper, passing through impoverished villages reachable only by rivercraft.

Dilangalen and other local politicians will initiate the groundbreaking of the coliseum inside the campus of the city's central elementary school.

The city government, however, wants to put up the coliseum at the new site of the city hall at the Malagapas District.

The city mayor, Datu Musli-min Sema, and Saif-ul Al Islam Gadhafi, architect-son of Libyan strongman Muammar Gadhafi, earlier led the groundbreaking of a costly mosque, which the Gadhafi Charity Foundation will construct at the Malagapas District.

"Dapat pag-botohan na lang ang mga tao kung saan ilalagay yang coliseum na yan (Let the people vote on where that coliseum must be built)," Dilangalen said.

Sema said in an interview with dxMS that the city government has long formulated a development plan and that all infrastructure projects should be in line with this.

"We are also surprised why these projects have already been bid out but have yet to be implemented until now," he said.

Local contractors earlier had criticized Dilangalen for enlisting military engineering units in carrying out his projects, a move that would deprive them of the opportunity to undertake the projects through public bidding.

Dilangalen reasoned, however, that most local contractors have failed to carry out government projects religiously.

"Besides if we allow the Army engineering units to handle these projects, we are assured that the funds will really be spent wisely," he said.