No infra budget for Casiguran, documents show
DOCUMENTS from the Department of Public Works and Highways ( DPWH) showed that Casiguran town in Sorsogon received no allocation for infrastructure projects.
Under the “2019 DPWH Infrastructure Program Based on National Expenditure Program,” Albay province had the highest allocation at P11.2 billion.
House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. had said that Casiguran was favored in the alleged P51- billion “insertions” in this year’s budget.
Andaya had accused Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno of favoring Casiguran because his daughter Charlotte is married to Romeo Sicat Jr, the son of Sorsogon Vice Gov. Ester Hamor.
Diokno had denied the allegation. “His accusations are illusory. The numbers are wrong and the narrative he’s selling is not grounded on facts,” Diokno said.
Andaya had said that Casiguran Mayor Jose Edwin Hamor is the biggest stockholder of Aremar Construction Corp., which allegedly cornered the projects programmed under the DPWH.
Based on the documents, Sorsogon had the second biggest allocation with P10.5 billion; Camarines Sur, P10.2 billion; Masbate, P4.5 billion; Camarines Norte, P3.3 billion; and Catanduanes, P2.5 billion.
The lone district of Romblon was given a P4.74- billion allocation for flood and road projects. It was followed by Abra with P4.1 billion; Albay’s second district, P3.7 billion; Samar’s first district, P3.3 billion; and Davao del Norte, P2.9 billion.
Agusan del Norte’s first district was allotted P2.87 billion; Palawan’s second district, P1.76 billion; Tarlac’s third district, P1.51 billion; Batangas’ second district, P1.26 billion; and Albay’s first district, P1.25 billion.
Camarines Sur’s second district got P1.2 billion; Occidental Mindoro, P1.13 billion; Davao del Sur, P1.04 billion; Leyte’s fifth district, P1 billion for road projects; and Bulacan’s third district, P1 billion for flood projects.
Palawan’s first district was allotted P1 billion for road projects; Misamis Occidental, P1 billion; Marinduque, P985 million; Capiz’s second district, P948 million; and Surigao del Norte’s first district, P920 million.
The Committee on Rules of the House of Representatives will resume on Tuesday, January 15, its investigation into the alleged flood control scam.
The panel has invited Diokno, his daughter Charlotte and her in- laws.
Last week, Diokno said it was the DPWH that filled out its budgetary allocation with the specific project listing.
“The original budget proposal of the DPWH was P652 billion; and not P488 billion as Congressman Andaya claimed in the Question Hour on Dec. 11, 2018. The DBM initially approved P480.2 billion but in the final phase of budget preparation, the total public infrastructure budget was still short of the government’s commitment to disburse at least 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product for infrastructure. This is why the budget of the DPWH was adjusted by P75.5 billion,” the Budget Secretary said.