Revilla, chairman of the Senate committee on public works and highways, said RROW claims have risen drastically the past two years, "further denting the already cash-strapped economy."
He cited figures showing that the RROW claims from 1997 to 1999 totaled less than P500 million only but the total in each of the past two years breached the billion-peso mark.
"Anomalies of this magnitude not only deplete scarce government resources but also deprive genuine claimants of the rightful remuneration of their properties," Revilla said.
He said that any failure of the DPWH to fully explain questions about the RROW would affect the department’s proposed budget for 2003.
He said that aside from reducing the budget, the Senate probe could also suspend allocations for RROW payments for next year "until members of this syndicate are unmasked and charged in court."
Revilla’s call for a Senate investigation was prompted by reports from DPWH insiders questioning the steep increase in RROW claims over the past two years.
The DPWH insiders claimed that a syndicate is manufacturing fictitious claims and certifying the "truthfulness" of these claims. The ring is reportedly composed of DPWH officials, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the provincial assessor’s office, register of deeds, and provincial treasurer’s office.
They also said that even legitimate claims have fallen prey to this syndicate. They alleged that legitimate claims are not processed without the syndicate’s approval.
"Approval requires claimants to hand over 50 percent of their claims to the syndicate, in addition to the P50,000 charged for processing fee," Revilla said.
Figures from the DPWH show that a huge portion of RROW claims are in Region 12 (Central Mindanao).
"Some 78 percent of the total RROW claims equivalent to P5.537 billion had been posted in the region for the past two years," Revilla said.
Recently a landowner from General Santos City filed graft charges before the Ombudsman against eight DPWH officials. The landowner claimed that the officials conspired to facilitate the "overpayment" of a P162-million RROW claim "despite being informed of a pending case involving the property."
Meanwhile, the DPWH is set to file charges against more of its personnel after two of them reportedly failed to account for their service cars in the ongoing audit of all department vehicles.
DPWH investigators said that some three months after the personnel belatedly reported the theft of their assigned vehicles during the auditing, the employees have failed to furnish probers a copy of the police report regarding the carjacking.
"I do not know what is keeping them from giving us the report but if they do not do so soon, they will be charged and ordered to pay for them," said an investigator.
The audit of all DPWH cars was ordered following discovery of the P182-million vehicle repair scam where some of the vehicles were either beyond repair or nonexistent.
The sheer number of DPWH vehicles, estimated to number 500, is reportedly slowing down probers.
Administrative hearings into the scam continue while a criminal case of plunder remains pending at the Office of the Ombudsman.
President Arroyo earlier ordered the suspension of many of the DPWH men involved but many of them have since returned.
Some DPWH employees have expressed apprehension that the return of some of them to their old posts could affect the investigation. — With Jose Aravilla