Sec. Ebdane needs to respond to the Senate!

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has formally announced his candidacy for the presidency adding to an already overcrowded field of presidentiables. People here think that Ebdane is a legend in his own mind, believing that he has a “Chinaman’s” chance of winning the presidential derby. There seems to be no logic in his running.

When he campaigns, Ebdane must answer questions on his role for approving the so-called lamp post scam in Cebu, where DPWH officials in Cebu have recently been issued warrants of arrest. I really don’t know why is the Sandiganbayan looking at the small fry in the DPWH and allowing the big fish like Sec. Ebdane to go scot-free not even to face a trial?

In her privilege speech, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago pointed to a total of 136 projects for the 12th ASEAN Summit, implemented through negotiated procurement instead of a public bidding amounting to P1.525 billion. I’m sure that the DPWH can easily explain this, as it includes the infrastructure required to spruce up Metro Cebu in its hosting the ASEAN Summit, like fixing all our roads, which unfortunately is already potholed.

But there is no question that the overpricing of the lamp posts from Cebu City to Mandaue City all the way to the Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort, the venue of the 12th ASEAN Summit is something that Ebdane cannot explain. To be perfectly honest, Cebuanos never knew that the money used in sprucing up Metro Cebu for the ASEAN Summit came from the Road User’s Tax. This only surfaced during the Senate investigation.

Anyway, overpriced or not, the made-in-China lampposts that the DPWH gave for Cebu isn’t worth a spit! A year after our hosting the ASEAN Summit, half of these lamp posts were no longer working. Two years later hardly five percent of these lamp posts were lighted at all. This only proves that the DPWH bought poor quality lighting equipment at a price of good quality lamp posts. Take a good look at the lampposts along Roxas Blvd, which brightens up the Manila Bay, it’s beautiful at night and they were installed before our lamp posts were installed in Metro Cebu!

Another issue plaguing former Sec. Ebdane comes from the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (PRBoA) that filed a complaint against Ebdane for violations of R.A. 3019 (Anti-Graft Act) and R.A. 6713 (code of conduct of gov’t officials) regarding the implementation and enforcement of the Architecture Act R.A. 9266 and the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines regarding the implementing rules and regulations of these acts, where civil engineers cannot and should not sign or seal architectural plans and documents as it is a violation of these laws.

For a long time now, architects have been up in arms against civil engineers or the like signing architectural plans, a practiced frowned upon by the architectural industry. Finally the Professional Board of Architecture filed this complaint against Ebdane for the violations we mention… and yet, he takes a nonchalant approach to the ton of problems he is facing. Perhaps he is confident that the Office of the Ombudsman will never include him in the suits because of their own ineptitude. I just hope that someday, justice will prevail so that someone who did this to Cebu should pay.

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While still hot on pursuing the culprits of the Road User’s Tax, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon seems to be on the roll and this time, it has recommended the filing of charges against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), the First Gentleman, former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, DOTC Sec. Leandro Mendoza, former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri, Engr. Rodolfo (the whistleblower) Lozada Jr., Joey de Venecia and his father then House Speaker Jose de Venecia on their respective roles in the controversial NBN-ZTE deal.

In response to this Senate report, immediately Press Secretary Cerge Remonde gave a statement that President Arroyo immediately ordered a halt to this deal which resulted in the cancellation of the NBN-ZTE deal…which should exonerate the President. Already the radio commentaries in Cebu are having a field day, asking why Jun Lozada or Joey de Venecia has been included in this proposed suit when he blew the whistle on this deal?

 As far as Joey is concerned, he should have known better than to use the position of his father who was then the Speaker of the House. As for Jun Lozada for blowing the whistle on this deal, he admitted to many wrongdoings, which should earn a criminal case for him. Only then should he apply as state witness before the court. All eyes will certainly be on this case.

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