Mafia-run DPWH

As we continue this series on the massive corruption at DPWH, seemingly run like the Mafia, President BBM has entered into the fiasco, focused on flood-related infrastructure.

Waking up to the massive flooding, devastation, death, and injuries, aside from agri and infra damage, in many parts of the country, it is pleasing to note the Chief Executive is up and about and looking into the massive loss of taxpayer money spent on nothing but the enrichment of congressional legislators, LGU chiefs, and DPWH officials.

None of the P1.2 trillion allocated by Congress went to a beneficial or helpful flood control measure. On the contrary, the monies were pocketed with the connivance, of course, of everyone, including the contractors who were themselves the solons who appropriated the funds for them to suck on.

Now, the dirty workings of the Mafia-run DPWH are out in the open with the discovery of under-specification, sub-standard, poorly done, or never accomplished projects, but paid in full by this government. The impunity by which the solons, or “representathieves,” and DPWH people pocketed appropriated funds would not have occurred without the blessing, I believe, of the DPWH Secretary who was restored to his post as if he was the only angel in this land.

I seriously doubt it but some folks were even thinking a portion of the loot may have reached the Palace. Who knows?

I am trying to find any logic or rationale for Bonoan to be retained as DPWH chief except that his relationship with the Top Executive is as complex as epoxy bonded cracked concrete. With all the intelligence units of the State reporting to the Chief Executive, many folks find it hard to believe the massive corruption at DPWH in particular did not reach His Excellency’s desk. Unless the DPWH is in the grip of a criminal syndicate of national proportions.

For instance, one glaring, too glaring, and much brighter than the noon sun aspect was the overpricing of cat’s eyes. Yeah, how much do we perennially spend on this road safety feature? Mayor Benjie Magalong says it doesn’t cost P1,800 per piece, labor and tools included. But taxpayers paid P11,720 each for this critical highway safety feature. Lazada’s price is just P88 and P420 each. Installation won’t go over P300, at most. Where did the huge variance go?

On the other hand, yellow road barriers cost only about P20,000 per meter. But DPWH paid their contractors P127,320 per meter. Again, where did the P120,320 go? Why the huge variance? How many yellow barriers and cat’s eyes were installed nationwide? No one would give me a computation at DPWH or would share with me any input but the figures presented by the Baguio City mayor are a good enough indication of how massive the overpricing was.

The call under the circumstances is for the creation of an independent investigation body. We cannot entrust this to Congress because they themselves are suspects in the anomaly.

Let’s do it now, not later. There’s no better option although booting out Sec Manny “Corleone” would be much welcome.