House panel to probe housing projects

MANILA, Philippines — A day after falling into murky water while inspecting a resettlement site in Zamboanga City, the chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development vowed to look into all projects undertaken by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez, Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat and Mayor Isabelle Climaco, two NHA officials and their staff fell when the wooden footbridge they were standing on collapsed.

“We will check housing units not only in Zamboanga City but in all NHA housing sites for substandard materials and construction and other irregularities,” Benitez said.

”A congressional hearing will be held.... It happened to me, Congressman Celso and Mayor Beng. It’s probably an eye-opener that we need to investigate this project,” he said.

Benitez said he asked his staff to gather all documents about the relocation project in Zamboanga City, including the cost and contractor of the footbridge.

“How much was spent for the footbridge? Who designed it? Who approved the design? Who was the contractor? These are some of the questions we want answered,” Benitez said.

The housing project is intended for victims of the Zamboanga siege.

Benitez said he would like to know how many housing units have been built and occupied since the incident in 2013.

He said the collapse of the footbridge highlights the dangers beneficiaries of substandard housing projects face.

“They have become victims of man-made disasters twice. We became victims ourselves,” Benitez said.

He said the houses on stilts in the resettlement site should be redesigned.

Benitez also called on beneficiaries of other government housing projects to send their complaints to his office.