Soriquez: No dining, wining contractors

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - Saying his net worth is only about P2 million, Public Works and Highways Secretary Florante Soriquez cautioned yesterday officials and employees of his department against wining and dining contractors doing business with them.

"I have told them to refrain from transacting official business with contractors in expensive restaurants and instead hold such transactions in their offices," Soriquez told reporters after inspecting flood control and road projects in the province.

This, as two top DPWH officials — Undersecretary Salvador Pleyto and Region 4-B director Romeo Panganiban — have failed a "lifestyle check" conducted by Malacañang’s "transparency group" for having allegedly questionable assets.

Pleyto has accused Soriquez of releasing documents to the Palace on his assets, which the latter denied. There have been nagging reports about a conflict between the two officials.

"I have nothing to do with the release of any documents (that showed their undeclared assets), although my predecessors might have done so," Soriquez said.

"I follow up reports of graft and corruption in my department, but I do not touch them once cases have been filed with the Ombudsman and other bodies against those involved," he added.

He said he was aware that his department has released only the biodata and the declared assets and liabilities of DPWH men in the past two years. — Ding Cervantes