• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez yesterday called on Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan to immediately resign his post, following discovery of a flood control project in Bulacan, which was marked completed by DPWH, but is yet to be constructed.
Following the discovery, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said he was “very angry” after seeing that the P55-million river wall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan, was virtually nonexistent.
The principle of command responsibility, according to Benitez, demands that the secretary should step down.
“If something as basic as this has been overlooked, who knows how many more critical projects are in a similar state,” said the lawmaker.
Benitez also pointed out that “this poses a danger to communities who depend on these projects to keep them safe.”
“As the President said in his SONA: Mahiya ka naman. The DPWH secretary should resign now.”
Whoever takes over from Bonoan, said Benitez, should continue the comprehensive audit of all flood control projects and identify questionable and substandard structures.
Based on DPWH documents, the 220 meter-structure in Baliuag was supposed to have begun last February.
Records also showed the project was fully paid, but there was no evidence that work on the project had already started.
“Hindi na sapat ang leave of absence lang dito. Dapat resignation na kaagad ito (A leave of absence is no longer enough. This should be an immediate resignation),” Benitez said.*
