Multi-sectoral group to probe Luzon flood

MANILA, Philippines - A multi-sectoral group will be created to investigate and recommend if charges should be filed against individuals who might have caused heavy flooding in Northern Luzon at the height of typhoon “Pepeng” that led to the deaths of hundreds of residents.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes told a press conference that his department may inhibit from the investigation and let other government agencies and entities lead the probe on who may be held liable for the catastrophe aggravated by the release of water from the San Roque Dam.

“I am only going to order an investigation on the operation of the dam in terms of warning, releasing and flood management. There will be no whitewash here, we will find out who’s at fault. All other people having to do with that will be investigated,” Reyes said.

At the same time, an interim protocol for the communication network for flood warning has been crafted by the Department of Energy (DOE) in coordination with other concerned agencies to prevent the repeat of the tragic incident.

Reyes said the composition of the multisectoral investigating body will be announced today.

But he said the members of the fact-finding body will most likely include representatives from academe, non-government organizations, local government units, scientific/hydro experts, San Roque Dam, National Irrigation Administration and other concerned parties willing to join the probe.

Monsod attended the press conference called by the DOE to personally inquire about what really transpired at the San Roque Dam.

According to Monsod, there were a lot of “loopholes” in the report presented by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) during the Senate hearing.

Ready for probe

But Napocor spokesman Dennis Gana said they welcome the creation of the investigating team and would be ready to present all the facts and details of the release of water from the San Roque Dam.

“We have strictly followed what was in the protocol,” Gana said.

As this developed, Reyes also disclosed that Alexander Palada, division manager of the flood forecasting and warning system for dam operations of Napocor, who recently asked for “voluntary relief” from his post at San Roque Dam but still reports to the Napocor head office, will be included in the list of those who will be investigated.

“The investigating body will be tasked to look at criminal culpability, if any, and also negligence, error in judgment,” Reyes said.

“We now have an interim protocol. We will come up with an amended protocol to include inputs from other agencies on Nov. 30,” he said.

Based on the amended protocol, there would be a general warning six hours prior to the release of water from the dam.

The warning will be coursed through the local government units and the provincial disaster coordinating councils. The warning will be repeated one hour before actual water release.

Flood bulletins, to be issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), will be sent and updates on the status of the dams will be distributed every two hours.

The interim protocol also allows Napocor to lower the high water level of the San Roque Dam by at least two meters – from 280 meters to 278 meters – “to increase the capability of flood control mitigation/function of the dam.”

Once the water level reaches the 278-meter maximum allowable spill level, the dam will commence pre-spilling at 500 cubic meters and the water flow will continuously be monitored.

“If the water level continues to rise despite release at 500 cubic meters, apply proportionate increase rate of water spill taking into consideration the rate of inflow going to the dam and the level of the Agno River downstream,” the protocol said.

‘Decommission San Roque dam’

Mayors and provincial officials are urging the national government to stop San Roque Dam from generating power to avert floods in Pangasinan.

During a meeting with the Provincial Board and other local officials, Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. agreed with the mayors that the dam’s power generating component should be decommissioned.

“We have been looking for the person who is responsible for releasing such dangerously large volume of excess water in one sudden burst that caused the massive devastation,” he said.

Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. told The STAR they will start a signature campaign for the purpose of stopping the dam from releasing excessive water like what happened at the height of typhoon “Pepeng” last week.

“If it bursts, it will wipe out three-fourths of Pangasinan,” he said.

Perez said water in the dam’s reservoir used for power generation should be used instead for irrigation purposes.

“Everybody was in agreement,” he said. “They like it because we all suffered but we have to observe due process.”

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan will take the initial move and then the mayors will join the signature campaign, Perez said.

Flawed design

Meanwhile, residents of La Paz, Tarlac are asking the government to correct the design of an interceptor canal built on the right side of the elevated portion of the Tarlac-La Paz-Sta. Rosa road near the Rio Chico bridge.

Residents said that the interceptor canal slowed down the flow of water to the other side of the road when the San Roque and Pantabangan dams on Oct. 8 opened their spillways to release excess water, causing massive and deep floods in the town.

“Our town gets flooded every year during rainy season and it usually takes 24 hours for floodwaters to subside. This time, the flood stayed for three days, forcing people to evacuate,” said resident Jay Lorenzo who slept on the roof of his house.

Worst hit were barangays San Roque and San Isidro where floodwaters reached the roof. The rampaging floodwaters washed away four houses in Sitio Bagong Sikat in San Roque.

The interceptor canal is part of a P90-million road project to give access to vehicles from Isabela, Aurora and Nueva Ecija to SCTEX and vice versa during rainy season when a portion of the road near the Rio Chico bridge gets flooded.

The road project was supposed to be under the Bases Conversion and Development Authority but was taken over by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The road should have started in front of the La Paz public market all the way to the Rio Chico bridge. But only P50 million went to the La Paz project and the road in front of the public market up to sitio Bagong Sikat was not included.

Sources say P25 million went to the upgrading of canals in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija and P15 million was used for asphalting a kilometer-long road in barangay Amucao near the entrance and exit of SCTEX in Tarlac.

An engineer privy to the project who requested not to be named said the design of the interceptor canal should be corrected to speed up the flow of water whenever there is flood.

“La Paz will become a vast river twice a year during the rainy season, threatening lives and destroying properties if the flaw in the design of the interceptor canal is not corrected,” said the engineer whose house was also submerged during the flood. — With Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez, Christina Mendez