DPWH chief to fire personnel linked to vehicle repair scandal

First, sky-high car repairs. Now, exhorbitant photocopying services.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Simeon Datumanong said yesterday that he will fire officials and employees linked to the multi-billion peso vehicle repair scandal even as he announced another anomaly in the department’s photocopying machines rental contracts.

Datumanong issued the statement after receiving a telephone call Monday from President Arroyo who asked him to step up the investigation into the scandal. An investigation into the vehicle repair mess started in January after Datumanong created a five-man panel to look into the irregularities.

The President’s call to Datumanong was occasioned by the secretary’s birthday also on Monday. The President’s call was confirmed to The STAR by Assistant Secretary Salvador Pleyto.

In the statement, Datumanong confirmed that charges are being readied against those involved, but added that stronger evidence was being gathered.

"I will not hesitate to fire Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) officials or employees involved in this anomaly," Datumanong said. "The alleged anomaly has been going on for years before my tenure as DPWH secretary."

Earlier, The STAR reported that at least 30 DPWH officials were found involved in the anomaly, including several top ranking men. Among them was one middle-rank official who reportedly received about P50 million as reimbursement for the repairs, the overall cost of which has ballooned to P150 million for last year alone.

On top of this, investigators found out that an old model Mercedes-Benz car was repaired as many as 39 times in the last 18 months, with cost reaching P915,647.

Investigators reportedly gave a copy of their report Monday to Datumanong that listed the cars involved in the scandal and the names of DPWH personnel linked to them.

The report ranked the vehicles involved and listed the Mercedes- Benz with plate number NRV-687 as the vehicle that have been repaired most, followed closely by three Mitsubishi cars which are relatively new, but their cost of repairs totaled more than P800,000.

The same list indicated that 10 cars were repaired for more than P600,000; nine for more than P500,000; 21 above P400,000; and 53 above P300,000. About 600 vehicles are involved in scandal.