FOR SUBSTANDARD, “GHOST”, ABANDONED PROJECTS

THE Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution last week supporting the City Legal Office in filing appropriate cases in court against contractors of the past Lim administration who willfully abandoned or neglected the completion of city government-funded projects.

Mayor Belen Fernandez went to the session hall on October 20 to personally appeal to the SP for the immediate approval of the resolution, which was already subjected to several hearings by the committee on good government, ethics, and public accountability, headed by Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo III, and the public works committee headed by Councilor Karlos Reyna.

The resolution also declared as unacceptable the reason of bankruptcy claimed by some of the contractors, who think that the Dagupan City government can no longer hold them accountable using such a justification.

The mayor reiterated that these projects were abandoned by their respective contractors, many of which are also substandard and haphazardly done, while two cannot even be used, and one is considered a “ghost project” or non-existent.

All these projects have a total cost of P144.9 million, which she said must be restituted by the contractors or the insurers of their performance bonds.

Among these projects are the construction of Zamora, Perennian Road in Bonuan Gueset and Lasip Chico Road; Rizal  Street Pumping Station; Gabion-type dike in Barangay Pugaro; installation of non-functional CCTVs; overpriced computer tablets; two motorboats that were not delivered; and the Malimgas Market.

Asked by newsmen after coming out of the SP hall whether past city officials led by former Mayor Brian Lim must also be held accountable and charged in court, Fernandez said yes by command responsibility.

The City Legal Office, as well as the City Engineering Office, earlier wrote to the erring contractors, asking them to finish or make corrections to their defective projects, but none replied.

The SP committee on good government, ethics and public accountability also asked the concerned contractors to revisit their projects and institute the necessary corrections, but no one complied. (Leonardo Micua)