MikeLigalig.com

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has defended the P100â€"million dredging project in Casiguran town here, saying “it is an aboveboard project that is extremely necessary."

Elmer Dabbay, district engineer of the Aurora-DPWH, told newsmen that the dredging and re-channeling of the Calabgan, Minanga and Tabang rivers, all in Casiguran, were extremely necessary because of the severe flooding that always hits the northern Aurora town even during the slightest rain.

“How can funds for dredging and re-channeling be election funds when flooding has long been a problem in Casiguran? If we don’t re-channel the rivers, water has no way out and Casiguran would perennially be under water,” Dabbay said.

He made this reaction following reports that officials of Casiguran are investigating the project on suspicion it is being used to raise campaign funds.

Earlier, leaders and members of the Nuestra Señora dela Salvacion Parish submitted a petition to the municipal council of Casiguran seeking to investigate the project which they described as “questionable, dubious and anomalous.”

The program of work submitted by the DPWH and the contractors to the municipal council was reportedly “unsigned, undated and unapproved by Mayor Reynaldo Bitong.

Bitong said the work was done haphazardly, as if its proponents were into “campaign fund-raising.”

While he did not identify who was behind the supposed fund-raising, he was clearly referring to Governor Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo, who initiated the project and tapped the DPWH as implementing agency through a memorandum of agreement. - PNA