USTP wanted PRC to strip Galua of license
The Board of Regents (BoR) of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) wanted architect Rey Galua to be stripped of his professional license following a disagreement with the latter over the unfinished P200 million project, an 8-storey Student Center and Education Complex.
In a statement issued yesterday, January 17, the USTP said Galua, a former USTP faculty member and the project’s architect, was found by the BoR to have partnered with Wing-An Construction and Development Corporation as design and supervising architect in another construction project in Don Carlos, Bukidnon while working on the project with USTP.
Galua was, according to the USTP statement, subsequently dismissed from government service in December 2016 for’ gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.’
The board, the statement said, filed an administrative case against Galua before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for revocation of license and registration September, last year.
Rotoras was the highest ranked university official at the BoR and was the board’s vice chairman.
Another complaint for violation of Code of Conduct of Government Employees (RA 6713) and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and the Revised Penal Code were filed by the board against Galua and Engineer Selwyn Lao.
Lao is the president of Wing-An Construction and Development Corporation, the firm which bagged the contract for the construction of the 8-storey building.
Galua was tagged by the police as person of interest in the killing of Rotoras. He was arrested by the police for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Lao broke his silence and revealed on Tuesday that the USTP project may have been terminated because of his refusal to give in to `under the table’ transactions, a claim vehemently denied by the USTP.
Lao claimed to have finished 60% of the project, a claim also disputed by USTP, and said he was only able to collect some P20 million despite incurring about P38 million in debt.
Asked yesterday whether he was worried of being linked to Rotoras’ murder, Lao said he had some disagreements with Rotoras but these were all “professional”.
“Never pumasok sa isip ko kinabahan ako or natakot na i-link sa killing dahil ang gusto ko ma-solve ang problem na ito. Ang away namin is very professional tungkol sa project iwan ko kung namemersonal sila sa akin,”Lao said.
Lao had contested the `illegal’ termination of the contract and filed complaints at the Office of the President and the Ombudsman.
He said his only concern now is to be able to collect and get paid for the equivalent of about 60 percent accomplishment of the project.
Lao said he wrote another letter addressed to the new head of USTP days after the killing of Rotoras, asking for review and re-investigation of the termination of contract.
However, he said he has not received an answer as yet.
Lao said a month before Rotoras was killed, USTP executives wanted to craft a compromise agreement that he would have paid Lao half of his collectible amount but said he turned this down.
“Gusto nila makipag-compromise sa akin last November na they will pay us pero kalahati. Yung claim namin is P60 million plus nag deny ako kasi di pwede,”Lao said.
Meanwhile, the police spokesman of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) that handles the Rotoras murder case refused to comment and confirm if Lao is among the “persons of interest’.
SITG spokesperson Chief Inspector Mardy Hortillosa II he has yet to receive updates from the investigators but admitted the SITG has already identified all persons of interest.