AT least 41 members of Congress were named proponents of projects under the allegedly graft-ridden Road Board based on a document, which an official of the agency released to a House leader on Thursday.
House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said Road Board Executive Director Luisito “Chito” Clavano identified Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara as having endorsed lighting and road projects in 2017 and 2018 ranging from P16 million to P86 million and PBA party-list Jericho Nograles with appropriations over P405 million.
Listed under Drilon’s name was a P16 million national road lighting program of the Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or the Iloilo Diversion Road in Region 6.
Angara and his aunt, Aurora Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, were listed as proponents of a P70-million asphalt overlay project for the Baler-Casiguran Road, P9 million for its guardrails, and a separate P9 million for the guardrails of A. Castaneda-Ma. Aurora San Luis Road.
Nograles got P116 million for asphalt overlay and road signs in various roads under the 1st and 2nd Districts of Ifugao, P50 million for the Isabela 4th District, P89 million for the Northern Samar 2nd District, and P150 million for the similar type of project for Cagayan de Oro Airport Bukidnon Road-Bayanga Section with Region 10 as its implementing office.
Nograles, who also serves as caretaker of the Davao City 1st District, said that he has referred many projects nationwide, including to the Road Board, and left it entirely up to the agencies concerned to act on “my referred projects.”
He said he was not aware if there were approvals or disapprovals and claimed that it was his “first time” to see the list that had his name.
“The Road Board has to authenticate this,” he said.
Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas had a total of P277.44 million for slope protection, road signs, and asphalt overlay projects under his district but said that after checking with Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 1 Director Ronnel Tan, neither his office nor his district received the money.
Neither Andaya, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez nor Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could be found in the list of Road Board project requestors despite their calls not to abolish the agency.
Other lawmakers on the list were Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay, Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Nancy Catamco, among others.
Davao Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, then Speaker, filed House Bill 7436, calling for the abolition of the Road Board, which was supposed to oversee funds from the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) appropriated for road maintenance and improvement of road drainage, installation of traffic lights and road safety devices, and air pollution control.
https://www.manilatimes.net/41-lawmakers-named-proponents-of-multimillion-peso-projects-to-road-board/485518/
https://www.manilatimes.net/41-lawmakers-named-proponents-of-multimillion-peso-projects-to-road-board/485518/
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