THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday filed charges against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors in connection with P94-million farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Davao Occidental.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. filed eight cases before the Office of the Ombudsman following a seven-month case buildup.
Named in the complaints were DPWH Davao Occidental district engineer Rodrigo Larete, project engineer and officer in charge (OIC)-chief of construction section Joel Lumogdang, OIC-assistant district engineer Michael Awa, quality assurance officer Jafel Faunillan, Acting Finance Chief Czar Ryan Ubungen and a private contractor.
They were charged with corrupt practices, malversation, falsification of public documents, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty in connection with the FMR project in Barangay Caburan, Jose Abad Santos, which was allegedly paid in full despite not being implemented.
The respondents reportedly falsified Statements of Work Accomplished, certificates of payment and disbursement vouchers to make it appear that the project had been completed.
In an interview, Tiu Laurel assured a strong case against the DPWH officials and contractors.
“They can get good lawyers. So, we really have to prepare a case. Ngayon, nandito tayo after pitong buwan, I can say na medyo maganda at solid lahat ng ebidensya, solid ang lahat ng kaso (Now, we’re here after seven months, I can say that somehow, we have good and solid evidence, all of the cases are solid),” he said.
The projects, which were supposed to be constructed in 2021, could have helped local farmers bring down production and logistics costs, Tiu Laurel said.
He said no construction had taken place. There was just a dirt road where people and tricycles can pass.
Another complaint was filed against the same DPWH officials and Masulot Construction, represented by Maligamama Medtamak, over the Barangay Caburan Small FMR in Jose Abad Santos.
The P11.92-million project was allegedly certified as completed, resulting in the disbursement of government funds. The DA Internal Audit Service (IAS) later found that the project had not been implemented.
Additional complaints involve DPWH officials Larete, Lumogdang, Villaver, Awa, Faunillan, Ubungen and seven contractors.
The cases concern FMR projects in Barangay Culaman, Datu Danwata, Demoloc, Tical and Manuel Peralta, with contract values ranging from P10.02 million to P14.92 million.
WITH PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
Tiu Laurel said more complaints involving ghost projects will be filed in the next few months.
He said a case buildup is being done for a project in Guinobatan, Albay.
DA spokesman Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said 20 out of the 1,241 FMR projects in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Davao region were not implemented, based on the latest report of the IAS.
The DA has earmarked P33 billion for 1,600 FMR projects in 2026, totaling 2,300 kilometers in length, with an estimated cost of P14 million per kilometer.
In total, there are 6,428 FMR projects worth P109.53 billion from 2021 to 2026, according to the FMR watch transparency portal of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering.
At least 3,135 of the projects were reportedly completed nationwide.
