BILANG tugon sa hamon ni Davao City Rep. Paolo “Polong” Duterte, pormal na naghain ng resolusyon si ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio para imbestigahan ang umano’y maanomalyang flood control projects sa Davao City na nagkakahalaga ng mahigit P4.4 bilyon.

“When Rep. Paolo Duterte said ‘Davao has nothing to hide,’ he challenged authorities to inspect the projects. We are taking up that challenge. The Filipino people demand accountability from everyone involved in this systematic corruption, whether from the previous or current administration,” ani Tinio.

Sa ilalim ng House Resolution No. 468, inaatasan ni Tinio ang House Committee on Public Accounts na siyasatin ang mga flood control projects sa Davao at Matina Rivers na ginastusan mula 2019 hanggang 2022.

Batay sa inisyal na imbestigasyon ng grupo ni Tinio, sa 120 flood control projects sa Davao na nagkakahalaga ng mahigit P6 bilyon, 80 proyekto na may halagang P4.44 bilyon ang kuwestiyonable dahil umano sa overlap, double funding, ghost projects, incomplete delivery, location changes, improper specifications, at iba pang iregularidad na hindi umano kasama sa General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Our preliminary analysis reveals the same patterns of corruption in Davao that have been uncovered in Bulacan, Oriental Mindoro, and other parts of the country—congressional insertions, projects without proper specifications, changed locations, and systematic plunder of public funds. Kaya huwag gamitin ang baha sa Cebu para pagtakpan ang anomalya,” ani Tinio.

Sa naturang listahan, 49 proyekto umano ay congressional insertions, at ang Genesis88 Construction Inc. ang tinukoy na top contractor. Pagmamay-ari ito ni Glenn Escandor, dating presidential adviser on sports ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at campaign contributor ni Vice President Sara Duterte.

(BERNARD TAGUINOD)