2 signatories in JICA flood control projects relieved

MANILA, Philippines –  Two ranking officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who are signatories in the P934-million flood control projects have been relieved from their positions for committing procedural lapses.                                             

DPWH-Accounting Division officer-in-charge Marichu Palafox and Project Management Office (PMO) for Major Flood Control and Drainage Project-Cluster II assistant director Fidel Gines were relieved from their jobs last week.                                                                         

DPWH Undersecretary Jaime Pacanan said Palafox has been reassigned to the office of Assistant Secretary Emil Sadain, while Gines is now detailed with the office of Assistant Secretary Roy Manao. Palafox was replaced by the agency’s accounting chief Teresita de Vera.                                              

“De Vera is really the accounting chief of the department but she was placed on floating status because she was linked to a vehicle scam about four years ago. But she has already been exonerated,” Pacanan said.                             

Pacanan, who headed the fact-finding committee on the flood control project, said Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson is also considering relieving another signatory to the contract, project manager Philip Menez of the PMO-Cluster II.                                                                  

He said Singson is considering to replace Menez with Remedios Belleza who heads the Traffic Engineering Management-PMO or Abdul Pandapatan, assistant director of the DPWH-PMO Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.                                                                

Upon assumption as public works secretary, Singson cancelled contracts signed through negotiated bidding.                                                

The 20 flood control projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are short-term infrastructure projects planned after the onslaught of tropical storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” last year. Pacanan said that after a 10-day investigation, they discovered that there were “procedural lapses” in the signing of the contract with the Japanese government.                               

He said the signatories signed the contract ahead of the issuance of the special allotment release order (SARO) on June 25.                                      

“They signed the contract ahead of the SARO, that could be one of the procedural lapses because the required allotment should be there before the contract is signed by the officials of government,” Pacanan said.                                                             

He also said the contract was signed without the machine stamp bearing the date the contract was entered into by Philippine government and the Japanese government. The contract was agreed upon on June 18.                                                       

“According to those we interviewed, they signed the contract in the absence of the date,” said Pacanan.