Senate, House urged to probe substandard flyover in Iloilo
By Tara Yap
Published May 24, 2023 08:05 am
ILOILO CITY – A group of Ilonggos has urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to probe the P680-million substandard and unused Ungka Flyover, one of the last projects lobbied by former Sen. Franklin Drilon.
“We are urging both Houses of Congress to immediately act on resolutions for thorough investigation of the Ungka Flyover fiasco and for its early resolution to free the public from the nuisance and inconvenience that’s a waste of people’s money,” said the Ilonggos for Accountability and Transparency Now (Ilonggos Act Now).
PROTESTERS hold a rally at the unused P680-million Ungka Flyover that straddles between Pavia town and Iloilo City, on Tuesday, May 23. The flyover is a project pushed by former Ilonggo Sen. Franklin Drilon. (Tara Yap) An alliance of ordinary citizens, public officials, and Left-leaning activists held a protest late Tuesday, May 23, adjacent to the Ungka Flyover, which straddles between Iloilo City and the neighboring town of Pavia. Ilonggo Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel of the Kabataan party-list led the filing of House Resolution No. 2022-721 calling for a legislative inquiry on the infrastructure, but there has been movement on the matter in the House. The protest also came a week after a private firm hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) presented the findings that at least P250 million is needed to repair the sinking flyover which has been closed to vehicular traffic since September 2022. “Individuals such as officers of the government and the private contractors should be held accountable as they both claimed to have expertise in the planning and construction, yet delivered a failed, unsafe, and unusable infrastructure,” the group said. “Aside from the inconvenience, the people’s money was put into waste and whatever repair or destruction of the infrastructure should not be at the expense of the people,” the group added. Instead of adding burden to affected Ilonggos who are taxpayers, the group urged DPWH to compel private contractor International Builders Corp. (IBC) to shoulder the repair of the sinking flyover.
PROTESTERS hold a rally at the unused P680-million Ungka Flyover that straddles between Pavia town and Iloilo City, on Tuesday, May 23. The flyover is a project pushed by former Ilonggo Sen. Franklin Drilon. (Tara Yap) An alliance of ordinary citizens, public officials, and Left-leaning activists held a protest late Tuesday, May 23, adjacent to the Ungka Flyover, which straddles between Iloilo City and the neighboring town of Pavia. Ilonggo Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel of the Kabataan party-list led the filing of House Resolution No. 2022-721 calling for a legislative inquiry on the infrastructure, but there has been movement on the matter in the House. The protest also came a week after a private firm hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) presented the findings that at least P250 million is needed to repair the sinking flyover which has been closed to vehicular traffic since September 2022. “Individuals such as officers of the government and the private contractors should be held accountable as they both claimed to have expertise in the planning and construction, yet delivered a failed, unsafe, and unusable infrastructure,” the group said. “Aside from the inconvenience, the people’s money was put into waste and whatever repair or destruction of the infrastructure should not be at the expense of the people,” the group added. Instead of adding burden to affected Ilonggos who are taxpayers, the group urged DPWH to compel private contractor International Builders Corp. (IBC) to shoulder the repair of the sinking flyover.