Lacson invited to Senate probe on bunkhouse anomaly

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate public works committee, has invited former senator and rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson to shed light on reports of anomalies in the construction of temporary shelters for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas.

The Senate committee will start public hearings on the alleged substandard bunkhouses for typhoon victims on Wednesday.

Lacson, who was appointed presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery, has ordered an investigation on the reported substandard bunkhouses.

“I believe Secretary Lacson could provide the committee with invaluable information that would help us shed light on the alleged anomaly surrounding the construction of the bunkhouses for Yolanda survivors,” Marcos said in a statement.

The committee also sent invitations to architect and urban planner Felino Palafox who insisted that the bunkhouses were “substandard and undersized, and they are not fit for human habitation.”

Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson was also asked to attend the hearing. His department is responsible for the construction of the temporary shelters.

Singson had denied the alleged overpricing in the bunkhouse project and vowed to resign if such reports were proven true.

But Singson admitted the possibility that some of the specifications in the construction of the bunkhouses were not followed.

Marcos filed Senate Resolution No. 439 seeking a Senate probe aimed at instituting corrective measures to ensure the safety and security of those displaced by typhoon Yolanda.

“It is crucial to look into these issues to make sure that the victims of Yolanda will no longer be victimized further by corruption and abuses perpetrated by the callous culprits who take advantage of the desolate condition in the affected areas,” Marcos said in his resolution.