CEBU CITY – The provincial government of Cebu is mulling the filing of charges against some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Central Visayas (DPWH-7) over an unfinished road project on UN Ave. in Mandaue City.
Gov. Gwen Garcia said she will ask authority from the Provincial Board to allow her to file administrative and criminal charges against DPWH-7.
The charges may be filed next week before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas as the Capitol’s legal consultants are still finalizing the list of DPWH-7 officials who will face charges.
Garcia is also planning to declare those will be included in the charge sheet as persona non-grata.
“Subsequently, let us study the personalities involved who have done the most damage to the Cebuanos and proceed with declaring them persona non grata here in our One Cebu Island. I will request Cebu City Mayor Mike
Rama, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ahong Chan, and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes to give us as well the projects that have been abandoned by the DPWH so that these will further strengthen our position that the persons responsible shall be declared persona non grata," Garcia said in a press briefing on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Capitol here.
Garcia said she was upset that the DPWH-7 rejected a compromise agreement with the contractor to enable the project delayed for three years to be finally finished.
The P711.8-million underpass and road widening project on UN Ave. was supposed to be completed on Aug. 24, 2020.
A legal battle ensured in 2019 when the DPWH 7 terminated its contract with Leyte-based BM Marketing after the contractor allegedly submitted a fake document in connection with its track record.
The Capitol said the information that the contractor submitted a falsified document came from an “anonymous” entity.
The unfinished project has caused inconvenience to motorists, Garcia said.
“As governor of this province of Cebu, I will take legal action against all those responsible for this continuing imposition upon the Cebuano public causing untold inconvenience, misery, a black mark on Cebu's image, and economic negative consequences,” said Garcia.
The Capitol decided to intervene after receiving numerous complaints that the road project has caused huge inconvenience.
The road near the Marcelo Fernan Bridge becomes muddy during heavy rain. The area also becomes a bottleneck, causing traffic jam as motorists have to slow down because of potholes.
Garcia said the Capitol was ready to shell out at least P11 million for the asphalting of the road.
The DPWH rejected the Capitol’s offer, saying it will shoulder the asphalting as it has already found a budget for it.
Garcia said they later discovered that the paving of the road has yet to commence as the DPWH-7 suddenly insisted that a bidding process is necessary for the asphalting project to start.