• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Council of Concerned Citizens (3C) will start the investigation of flood control projects of the Department of Public Works of Highways (DPWH) in Bacolod City on September 22.
The projects to be investigated starting Monday are the Magsungay River with project cost of P96,500,000; Sum-ag River Esplanade – P96,500,000; Magsungay River Phase 6 – P44,113,720; and Catmon Creek Esplanade – P34,300,000.
Council of Concerned Citizens convenor Cesar Beloria, during a symposium against corruption conducted by their group yesterday, said they will be conducting the investigation of these flood control projects together with other sectors, to determine the existence and quality of the projects using their checklist.
“We will issue the project a ‘seal of approval’ if everything is okay and if it is substandard, it will be issued a ‘seal of disapproval’. But this will be forwarded to the President’s Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for verification,” he said.
Beloria said their investigation will include flood control projects implemented from 2017 to 2025. However, they will first focus on projects implemented from 2022 to 2025. They have about 138 flood control projects to be investigated in Bacolod City.
Senator Rosa Hontiveros assured that she will help recommend their council to become part of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) to be accredited by ICI as part of its investigating arm at the local level, he said.
Their objective is to find out if there is really no corruption involved in the projects. But if it is tainted with corruption, they will investigate, prosecute, and if possible send the involved officials to jail, Beloria said, adding that they are hoping that this might be the time for real change in the system.
Other speakers at the symposium yesterday were Edwin Karl Ombion, who discussed the anatomy of the state of corruption in the Philippines, while former Bacolod councilor Renecito Novero read the manifesto of conscience of the Council of Concerned Citizens.*
