Mayor Jaime Deleña of Presentacion and his municipal engineer have both been reported to be pestering contractors in the Presentacion-Caramoan coastal road on the guise of monitoring project. Every citizen in the country is empowered and has the duty to monitor government projects. The coastal road project which is being run by the most competent engineers in the DPWHH Regional Office is being monitored by so many groups—the CRANE, local officials, priests, bishops, youths, media and government leaders. This is justified because the project is of utmost significance especially for Caramoan and Catanduanes residents. As a matter of fact, President Arroyo herself is monitoring the coastal road. Mayor Deleña, however, may have other motives other than genuine monitoring knowing that so many are already on the watch. He and his municipal engineer should just be very careful they are not overstepping their prerogatives to the extent that the project is unduly hampered.
* * * *
Has Mayor Deleña monitored regravelling projects at the Felix Fuentebella Highway reportedly running to more than P30 million every year? Can he properly report to the people where supposed expenditures for the highway went at least from 2004 to the present only? Or did he abandon his avowed duty to monitor because regravelling projects which are frequently tainted with irregularities belonged to his boss? Yes, Mayor, we know what you want. We know your motive! As you know, we were not born just yesterday.
* * * *
Fr. Joaquin Camano, parish priest of Guijalo, Caramoan, is getting impatient over the delay in the start of the road opening project from Guijalo to Canatuan along the coastal road. The particular segment which is to be undertaken by administration by the provincial government of Camarines Sur is part of the P50 million package, release of fund for which was said to be secured by the governor. This week he texted Bishop Manolo a. de los Santos, D.D., and other Bicol bishops to convey the sentiments of people who have been craning their necks for the last four or five months waiting for the start of the project. When DPWH engineers from regional office spent weeks surveying the route of the coastal road from Guijalo up to barangay Bitaogan which is an entirely new route along the coastlines, Fr. Camano joined the engineers in several days of ordeal. It was partly to show how important the project is to his parishioners and to the whole populace of Caramoan and the nearby island province of Catanduanes who expect to be linked to the mainland through the RORO system with the completion of the coastal road project. Just how important the coastal project may be mirrored in the fact that Caramoan parishioners have composed a prayer for the smooth and speedy implementation of the project read in all Caramoan churches everyday! Bicol bishops, it must be remembered, were the ones who directly followed up with president arroyo the Crane petition for the coastal road which was supported by endorsements of hundreds of local officials, community leaders and socio-civic organizations. Bicol bishops had an audience with president arroyo on January 30, 2006 in Malacañang during which the president announced the funding allocation for the coastal road. The role of Bicol bishops in the coastal road project is pivotal and their continuing interest in its orderly implementation is therefore understandable. Without them the project could not have started yet.
