Bishops appeal to GMA to keep commitment
The DPWH central office has ordered construction work at the Caramoan coastal road stopped and all remaining funds allocated to the project transferred to the Caramoan Peninsula road, the circuitous mountain road to the town now renamed Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway.
This was revealed to PENINSULA MONITOR by DPWH Regional Director Orlando B. Roces last week as it sought the latest status report on the project.
The controversial directive is certain to embarrass President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has publicly vowed to pursue and complete the project in response to petitions of Caramoan Peninsula and Catanduanes residents who consider the coastal road a prerequisite to the proposed RORO project linking Catanduanes to the mainland via Caramoan.
Virac Bishop Manolo A. de los Santos, D.D., an ardent advocate of the project, has written President Arroyo to nullify the DPWH directive. His letter was also signed by Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P., D.D. Archbishop of Caceres. (see full text of letter below)
In Virac Catanduanes, Gov. Joseph Cua said he remind her of her commitment to Catanduanes residents that she would speed up the completion of the Caramoan coastal road as a component of the RORO project, made during her visit to the island province only last October.
The Caramoan Residents Association in Naga City and its Environs (CRANE) which initiated the multi-sectoral appeal to President Arroyo in 2005 for the completion of the coastal road project will hold protest rallies if the DPWH directive is not recalled, the organization also announced.
President Arroyo had assured Bicol bishops in a dialogue in Malacañang on January 30, 2006 that she would have the Caramoan coastal road implemented and three days later on a visit to Camarines Sur on February 2, 2006, she announced the allocation of P250 million for the project.
P150 million of the allocation has reportedly been spent already and the remaining P100 million already awarded to contractors.
This unspent but already awarded amount is what the DPWH central office wanted to be transferred to the Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway.
In October last year during a visit to Virac, President Arroyo also announced an additional P50 million for the Caramoan coastal road to hasten realization of the RORO project. This additional outlay may also be transferred to the Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway if the appeal of Archbishop Legaspi, Bishop de los Santos and other Bicol bishops is not heeded.
Jolted by the DPWH directive, observers said the move could be a ploy to cover up for what could be another monstrous case of corruption involving unimplemented projects in the Third District of Camarines Sur immediately before the May, 2007 elections.
Sources said a project package involving 12 projects with identical costs of P14,475,000 or a total of P173,700,000.00 was supposed to be implemented by the DPWH Third Engineering District in Camarines Sur by the first quarter of 2007. Seven of these projects with a total cost of P101,325,000.00 were supposed to be along the Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway or Caramoan Peninsula mountain road but residents claimed no construction or rehabilitation work of the magnitude had occurred along the road and the Presentacion-Caramoan section of the road is not even passable at present.
At least P179,500.00 is believed to have been spent already in Caramoan coastal road. Acting on a request from the Caramoan Residents Association in Naga City and its Environs (CRANE) Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte successfully sought the release of the initial P29.5 million for the project immediately before President Arroyo allocated P250 million.
The organization CRANE actually initiated in 2005 the petition to President Arroyo for the continuance and completion of the Caramoan coastal road which was begun in 1992 during the term of Congressman Eduardo Pilapil.
The CRANE petition was endorsed by Congressman Villafuerte, Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte then Catanduanes Gov. Leandro Verceles, Congressman Felix Alfelor, Jr., Bishop de los Santos and all priests of Catanduanes, all priests of Caramoan, more than 1,000 municipal officials, barangay captains and community leaders in the Caramoan Peninsula and the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
But the commitment of the President to have the coastal road completed was firmed up during the dialogue with Bicol bishops in Malacañang on January 30, 2006. Bicol bishops present in the dialogue aside from Bishop de los Santos were Bishop Jose Rojas who represented Archbishop Legaspi, Bishops Benjamin Almoneda, Nestor Cariño, Arturo Bastes, Joel Baylon and Jose Sorra.
Letter to Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P. D.D., Archbishop of Caceres and Bishop Manolo A. de los Santos, D.D., Bishop of Virac appealing for the continuance of the Caramoan coastal road:
DIOCESE OF VIRAC
CHANCERY OFFICE
Virac, 4800 Catanduanes, Philippines
January 11, 2008
HER EXCELLENCY
GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO
President, Republic of the Philippines
Malacañang, Manila
Your Excellency:
We are shocked to learn from the DPWH Regional Office here that the DPWH Central Office has ordered the on-going construction work at the Caramoan coastal road stopped and all funds you have allocated to the project transferred to the Caramoan Peninsula Road, the mountain road 25 kilometers longer than the coastal road.
After the dialogue of Bicol bishops with you in Malacañang on January 30, 2006 during which you assured us that the project would be pursued and completed there has been so much rejoicing not only among Caramoan Peninsula residents but only also Catanduanes residents hoping for the realization of the Catanduanes-Caramoan RORO project after the coastal road is completed. We are averse to using the mountain road because of the unnecessary 25-kilometer extra distance and because of the danger of travel through the mountain route.
After you allocated P250 million for the project and added recently another P50 million, which you announced while in Virac only late last year, we felt that at last our dream would be realized.
Frankly, Madam President, we do not see any logical reason for not pursuing a project that is the clamor of the people and for which a substantial sum has been spent.
May we, therefore, request that the Caramoan coastal road be continued and funds already allocated for the purpose be not transferred or recalled.
Curiously enough, Madam President, we learned that before the 2007 elections around P100 million was allocated for the Caramoan Peninsula mountain road in seven road rehabilitation projects but the mountain road is not even passable at present. These are reportedly part of a project package of twelve (12) projects all in the Third District of Camarines Sur with identical funding of P14,475,000.00 or a total of P173,000,000.00. We do not know if the projects were implemented and we also request that this perhaps should be looked into.
Madam President, our people in Catanduanes and the Caramoan Peninsula consider the Caramoan coastal road as your legacy to them. Let us not frustrate them. Again, we wish to reiterate that the coastal road will accelerate economic development, especially tourism development, and enable Catanduanes residents to reach mainland in just 30 minutes via Caramoan compared to three hours or more via Tabaco City in Albay.
On behalf of our people may we thank you for your prompt action in this regard.
Most sincerely yours,
+MANOLO A. DE LOS SANTOS, D.D.
Bishop of Virac
NOTED:
+LEONARDO Z. LEGASPI , O.P., D.D.
Archbishop of Caceres
Cc: Asst. Sec. Tomasito Monzon
Presidential Assistant for Bicol Affairs
Is this the reason for the DPWH directive to transfer funds from the Caramoan coastal road to the Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway?
Reprinted hereunder in full is the PENINSULA MONITOR story in its August 31, 2007 issue expressing concern over a possible anomaly in the P170M road rehabilitation package, seven (7) segments of which worth more than P100M were supposed to be implemented in the Caramoan Peninsula Road or Gov. Felix A. Fuentebella Highway. (See projects marked with asterisks.)
Is the coastal road fund allocated directly by President Arroyo going to be used to cover up for the suspected anomaly?
3rd ENG'G DISTRICT
Let the public judge: ghost projects or not?
In November, 2006 the Third Highway Engineering District in Camarines Sur was supposed to have conducted the bidding for 12 road rehabilitation projects with an estimated uniform cost of Php 14,475,000.00 each or a total of about Php 173,700,000.00.
Supposed to be completed within 90 days after the award of the contracts or before the May, 2007 elections, some of the projects may not have been implemented at all and yet payments may have been already collected.
PENINSULA MONITOR is reproducing in full hereunder the “Invitation to Prequalify and to Bid” prepared by the DPWH district office at Tigaon, Camarines in November last year to guide public and enable them to judge by themselves whether the projects as listed were really implemented or not.
This is intended to support the program and commitment of President Arroyo to minimize if not eradicate corruption in the government
