SENATORS Franklin Drilon and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara are among the largest proponents of projects funded by the Road Boad, a government agency now at the center of a brewing clash between the two chambers of Congress, documents showed.
House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr., who withdrew the House bill abolishing the Road Board in September, bared a list of senators and congressmen who had requested tens of millions’ worth of road projects from the beleaguered agency.
The Senate insists on abolishing the Road Board, which had been flagged by state auditors because of corruption, and has the backing of Malacañan Palace, which said early this week that President Rodrigo Duterte wanted the agency abolished.
The House about-face on the Road Board abolition happened after Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as speaker in July.
The list, from Road Board Executive Director Luisito “Chito” Clavano, named Drilon and Angara as proponents for lighting and road projects in 2017 and 2018 ranging from P16 million to P86 million.
Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles topped the list of 38 other lawmakers, with appropriations reaching over P405 million.
The amount of P16 million for a national road lighting program (civil works with luminaires) involving Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or the Iloilo Diversion Road in Region 6 was listed under Drilon’s name.
Angara, together with his aunt Aurora Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, were listed as proponents of a P70-million asphalt overlay project for Baler-Casiguran Road, P9 million for its guardrails, and a separate P9 million for the guardrails of A. Castaneda-Ma. Aurora San Luis Road.
Authenticate list – Nograles
Nograles got a whopping P116 million for asphalt overlay and road signs in various roads under the first and second districts of Ifugao, P50 million for Isabela’s fourth district, P89 million for Northern Samar’s second district, and P150 million for a 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 Davao City’s first district, said he had referred many projects nationwide, including to the Road Board, but had never seen the list himself.
“I have referred many projects nationwide to all agencies including Road Board. It is entirely up to the agencies to act on my referred projects. I do not know if there are approvals or disapprovals by the agencies,” Nograles said when asked for comment.
“As to this specific list, this is my first time to see this. The Road Board has to authenticate this,” he claimed.
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. However, he said that after checking with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 1 Director Ronnel Tan, neither his office nor his district had received such hefty amount.
“My district has not received any Road Board Fund under the present administration even when I was the majority leader. As I said, it was [former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez] and I who initiated its abolition,” Fariñas told reporters.
Fariñas, an Alvarez ally, was previously tagged by Andaya as one of three personalities under the previous House leadership who had the biggest allocation for infrastructure projects amounting to billions.
Andaya’s camp clarified that the list did not specify whether the requests were released or held by the Road Board.
Neither Andaya nor Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, and even Arroyo, can be found in the list of Road Board project proponents, despite their calls to retain the agency.
Other lawmaker-proponents in the list were Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay and Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco.
Andaya challenges Diokno to debate
Alvarez, then Speaker, filed House Bill 7436 calling for the Road Board’s abolition citing corruption and mismanagement issues by the agency that is supposed to oversee funds from the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge. These funds are appropriated for road maintenance and improvement of road drainage, installation of traffic lights and road safety devices, and air pollution control.
When Arroyo replaced Alvarez as Speaker, Congress rescinded the measure through Andaya’s motion.
Under the bill, the abolished agency will cede its powers to the DPWH, Department of Transportation (DOTr), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Fariñas said they have the power to make the three Cabinet secretaries answerable to possible abuse of funds.
Andaya continued to challenge Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to a debate on the proposed bill “to see who is telling the truth.”
“[President Rodrigo Duterte] still believes there is a chance to cleanse the system of the agency. He even told us to go on with the release of the project funds. That was how we understand things. That’s the reason why we withdrew the proposed law to abolish the board,” said Andaya.
‘I merely endorsed’ – Drilon
Drilon on Thursday said he “merely endorsed” to the Road Board the request of the DPWH to fund the lighting of a national road in Iloilo City.
“The request was made to the Road Board only because the lighting of national roads could only be sourced from the Road Users Tax, not from the GAA (General Appro priation Act). No action was taken by the Road Board,” Drilon said.
He recalled that sometime in 2014-2015, during the term of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, he endorsed the request of then DPWH Region 6 Director Ed Tayao for a P16-million allocation from the Road Board to fund the lighting of Sen. Benigno Aquino Avenue, a national road being built in Iloilo City at that time.
“Up to now, the road lighting project has not been implemented. No fund has been released,” Drilon added.
Angara said, “We voted with the rest of the Senate for the Board’s abolition.”
“Any requests for projects were made before the President and Congress worked for [its] abolition,” he said in a text message.
WITH BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
https://www.manilatimes.net/drilon-angara-corner-road-board-millions/485717/
https://www.manilatimes.net/drilon-angara-corner-road-board-millions/485717/
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