Arlegui in utter state of disrepair

President Arroyo need not look further for leaks in Malacañang.

There is one just across the Palace gates, at the former presidential residence along Arlegui street. The two-story house is currently occupied by various administrative units of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

No, the leak is not among the employees. The roof of the Arlegui residence was supposed to have been entirely replaced, but the repairs were incompletely done by the time tropical storm "Chedeng" blew into the country last Sunday.

OPS employees found their offices flooded with rainwater.

Acting Press Secretary Milton Alingod was told that the repair and reconstruction of the roof, started last summer, was ordered stopped by Press Secretary Hernani Braganza, who questioned alleged irregularities in the contract.

The repair contact, worth P13.4 million, was entered into with DMJ Construction by Braganza’s immediate predecessor, Ignacio Bunye, who is now presidential spokesman.

The bids and awards committee that approved the contract was headed by former Press Undersecretary Roberto Capco, with whom Braganza reportedly has a running feud.

When the contract was suspended, OPS engineering chief Charlie Agustin reported to Braganza that 70 percent of the roofing was already replaced as of March 18.

Alingod sought the assistance of Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo to settle the questions regarding the contract so the repair of the Arlegui residence’s roof would continue.

The Arlegui house used to serve as the official residence of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos.

Malacañang Palace was turned into a public museum after Aquino took over the government from ouster dictator Ferdinand Marcos in February 1986.