HILONGOS, LEYTE – In less than a month, the Presidential Action Center acted on the letter of Mayor Jose Emery Roble requesting for an investigation on why Hilongos was excluded in the list of road signs project of DPWH – 5th Leyte Engineering District.
The PAC referred the letter to the DPWH Public Information Division chief Elizabeth Pilorin, who in turn forwarded it to Undersecretary Romeo Momo, Asst. Sec. Dimas Soguilon and Region 8 Director Rolando Asis.
Pilorin’s memorandum, dated August 3, 2012 stamped with “For Immediate Action,” urged the concerned officials to give preferential attention on the matter in relation to the provisions of Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and to that of RA 9485 or the Anti–Red Tape Act of 2007.
Roble’s letter, attached with three photos of road signs placed along the Tacloban–Baybay South Road in different areas in Baybay City of Leyte (where the 5th LED also holds office), expressed dismay of the apparent exclusion.
“What surprised and annoyed me is the fact that Hilongos, which is a town between Hindang and Bato, was excluded from the road sign. It is an insult on the part of Hilongos who seems to be inexistent in the Leyte map…” Roble said in his letter.
In a separate interview with The Freeman, Roble refused to comment when asked if he thought a politician might be behind all these. “I won’t jump into conclusion,” he said. “But I can’t fathom why the discrepancy was committed given the fact that Hilongos is a second class municipality and is the gateway of this part of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces with at least three daily trips to Cebu and Bohol with different shipping companies owned by locals.”
The mayor also took notice the importance of these road signs to first time passengers coming from the eastern side of Leyte who might be misguided when passing through Baybay. “If Hilongos was omitted in one road sign, it’s fine with me, but three is far more mysterious especially that our town has vibrant economic activities,” he added.