June 24, 2007 Editorial of the Bohol StandardIt is not everyday that Gov. Erico Aumentado engages in a word war with higher echelon officials in the government. So when he stood up against Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri, a lot of people took notice.
If Aumentado’s contentions are to be believed, it would seem as though Neri has been fault-finding if not biased against the irrigation projects in Bohol . The manner with which the governor took note of bigger projects in other places and Neri’s silence on their shortcomings suggest that presumption.
And yet, there is also something that Boholanos should look into as far as this exchange is concerned. They better be concerned because this is something that concern them directly.
The irrigation projects in Bohol have come under fire in recent years specifically the one in Talibon that to this day remained uncompleted. By estimates of its critics, at least P165-million has already been poured into the Talibon dam but this has not been enough to complete it.
There are other, even bigger dams, including the now controversial Bayongan dam which was at the center of the exchange between Aumentado and Neri. These dams, like the one in Talibon, have also remained unfinished.
Whether he admits it or not, Aumentado is in a hot spot because he had been actively involved in the lobby for these projects. Time and again, he had also been boasting about turning Bohol into a sort of rice granary in the Visayas.
Which brings us to the core of the exchange between Neri and Aumentado. For the record, Neri is complaining about the delay and the overprice of the Bayongan dam. Aumentado is complaining why Neri is singling Bohol out.
That is not a good position for the governor to take. Why begrudge a national official who is concerned, or at least professed concern, for a non-performing asset? He should even thank Neri for that concern.
This contrasts with his deafening silence on the uproar over the unfinished Talibon dam. As to why he was hesitant to speak up against the scandalous delay of the Talibon dam but quick to stand up against Neri on the Bayongan dam is for Boholanos to think over.
The point here is simple: the governor should realize that he is well on the last lap of his three terms. In the case of his priority for dams, he still has nothing to show despite his much ballyhooed proximity to Malacañang.
At the very least, Aumentado should have not been too quick to exonerate the National Irrigation Administration over this. That is, to put it mildly, suspicious.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=1804.0