New Pinatubo housing units overpriced?

MEXICO, Pampanga — Two officials of the Mt. Pinatubo Task Force, a remnant of the defunct Mt. Pinatubo Commission, are facing charges in the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged overpricing of housing units for lahar victims by as much as P63 million and other alleged construction irregularities.

Engineer Victorio Manuel, who claimed he was fired last September for questioning the alleged anomalies, and six other complainants filed the case against Flordelita Arrozal, officer-in-charge and administrative director of the task force, and Angel Paras, its finance director.

The complainants alleged that 3,000 housing units, each with a floor area of only 27 square meters, have been overpriced by P21,000 each or a total of P63 million. Construction of the units started last August.

The complainants submitted a document to the Ombudsman showing that 2,500 of the housing units are being built in San Isidro, Magalang, 270 in Acli, Mexico, 170 in Madapdap, Mabalacat, both in Pampanga, and 60 units in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

The complainants based the P63-million alleged government loss on the cost of 1,000 housing units completed at the resettlements in Madapdap, Pandakaki and Sta. Lucia, all in Pampanga, last June.

"The difference in cost could not have really risen by P21,000 for each unit from June to August (this year)," Manuel said.

The complainants also alleged that the electrical installations for 1,000 housing units completed last June, was irregular. The anomaly reportedly cost P2,462,536.

They claimed there were "ghost deliveries" or non-installation of electrical facilities worth P2,413,842; "double charging" of materials worth P391,739; and overpricing of some P22,305.

The complainants claimed that the Army’s 51st Engineering Brigade has upgraded the price of each of the 1,000 housing units from P58,888 to P64,087. However, the cost of each unit was later reported to be P85,000.

They also alleged that the task force charged P600,890 for the cost of the primary electrical distribution system at the Pandakaki resettlement, although the National Housing Authority had installed and paid for it some months back.