By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Two engineers of the Negros Occidental Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 3rd Engineering District were recently dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Officer-in-charge (OIC), District Engineer Haydee Alunan, and OIC-Assistant District Engineer Elsie Sabay were found guilty of grave misconduct in connection with anomalies associated with Cauayan rehabilitation projects, the Mabua Bridge in Barangay Poblacion and the Bagumbayan Bridge in Barangay Tiling.
Along with their dismissal, Alunan and Sabay were also required to forfeit retirement benefits, are permanently disqualified from holding public office, and barred from taking the civil service examination.
The Ombudsman also found probable cause to charge Alunan and Sabay on two counts in violation of Section 3(a) of RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which punishes “giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage, or preference.”
An investigation found the respondents issued notices to proceed on the bridge projects to the Opell Construction and Development Corporation, with a completion date of June 29, 2014.
However, by December 3, 2015, the projects were found to be unfinished.
Alunan admitted there was a delay, but cited “intervening factors,” including the removal of the water pipelines, the relocation of an electrical post, and heavy rains and flooding.
In contrast, the Ombudsman found there to be “unreasonable delay,” claiming respondents “deliberately set aside” completion “by more than 380 percent.”
“During the implementation stage, respondents allowed the contractor to continue working on the project despite poor performance/accomplishment and unreasonable delay of the contractor in the projects,” they explained in the decision. “As shown in the disbursement vouchers, the contractor was not made to pay for the unreasonable delay of each project of at least 562 days.”
The Ombudsman resolution concluded, “The amount of liquidated damages was apparently understated and respondents clearly gave unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to the contractor in violation of law.”/DGB, WDJ