5 DPWH execs dismissed over anomalous Iloilo road project

MANILA — The Office of Ombudsman sacked five officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the irregularities in the bidding for the Iloilo-Jaro Diversion Road in 2006.

The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas dismissed from service DPWH officer-in-charge district engineer Teodoro Castillo, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Ruby Lagoc, BAC members Joemar Nepomuceno, Nestor Molato and Jonathan Dublas.

Investigation disclosed that several irregularities marred the 2006 bidding of the P9 million Iloilo-Jaro Diversion Road project, which had a project duration of 60 days.

DPWH executives made it appear that bidding was conducted prior to awarding the project to JSG Construction Company, the investigation report showed.

Documents showed that the project was finished within 14 days from issuance of the Notice to Proceed and the contractor submitted its first and final billing, with the disbursement voucher to process payments prepared on the same day.

After three days, the project was reported as 100percent completed.

"It is doubtful if a bidding was actually conducted because the supporting documents of the project... do not show that there was a publication of the bidding with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System and there are no copies of the bidding documents of the purported bidders," a decision approved by Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente stated.

Aside from dismissal from the service, DPWH officials were meted out the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and being barred from taking the civil service examination.

The case against accountant Condrado Sorongon Jr., meanwhile, was dismissed for lack of substantial evidence.