ILOILO CITY – Department of Public Works and Highways-6 (Western Visayas) Director Sonny Boy Oropel said the graft and corruption charges filed by the Crimes and Corruption Watch International Inc. (CCWII) against him and several individuals were recycled complaints.
“A previous complaint was dismissed. Is this group trying to harass and embarrass us?” Oropel said on Thursday, May 22,
a day after the CCWII filed graft and corrupt complaints before the Ombudsman against him, several DPWH-6 district engineers, and members of the DPWH-6 Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for allegedly favoring contractor International Builders Corp. (IBC).
Other respondents were DPWH-6 Bids and Awards Committee Chairperson Mary Grace Bulaquina-Hachuela, Vice Chairperson Marilou Zamora, members Ormel Santos,
Gladwyn Ledesma, Roland Victorino, and Ricardo Gutierrez, and District Engineers Roy Pacanan, Bernadette Betsy Uy, Allan Rey Pajimna, Randolfo Melosantos, and Robert Palmera.
Oropel said they are awaiting a copy of the complaint and noted that the Ombudsman dismissed the 2022 case filed by CCWII during the time of Nerie Bueno as regional director.
“The difference is that CCWII included IBC as a respondent in its complaint. Last time, the allegations only mentioned projects of IBC,” said Oropel.
Oropel said they will answer the allegations of CCWII and are
optimistic that the Ombudsman will dismiss the complaints similar to 2022.