Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sagada mayor probed on double funded FMRs and slippage of P36 M waterworks

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE - A complaint filed at the office of the
Ombudsman asked lifestyle check of Sagada mayor Engr Eduardo Latawan
Jr, double-funded farm to market roads and a probe on the long delayed
completion of the 36 million Boasaw waterworks.

Complainant Grace Bandoy alleged that Latawan acquired properties in
separate dates during his term as mayor of Sagada municipality since
he entered the elective post in 2007.

Complainant demanded investigation on Latawan’s acquisition of  real
estate properties in  Sto Tomas, Quezon Hill and Pacdal Baguio City
and separate lots in eastern and southern Sagada while he was mayor of
the town in 2008 till now.

Latawan’s newly acquired lot in southern Sagada last year is located
near the newly inaugurated Balangagan cave in Taccong, Sagada.

This, aside from his newly built three-story house at Antadao, Sagada
in 2009 while the municipal building was being built at the same time.

An earlier complaint charged Latawan of not having  filed his
Statement of  Assets and Liabilities (SALN) since he entered
government office in 2007.

Said complaint also asked investigation of alleged overpricing of the
four- story municipal building costing nearly 22 million pesos as
compared to a four- story private commercial building built in the
same period of time costing 10 million pesos.

Said complaint also alleged 200% plus slippage on the full completion
of the  P36 million Boasaw waterworks  supposed to have been finished
early 2013.

The P36 million waterworks fund was sourced from an P18 million
priority development assistance funds (PDAF) of  Senator Teofisto
Guingona 111 and P18 million from Cordillera Highland Agricultural
Resource Management Project (CHARMP). The 36 million peso project was
awarded to Cotabato-based FFJJ construction in December 2011 jointly
implemented by said  construction company and the LGU of Sagada.

Complaint also asked investigation on the alleged double funding of
farm to market roads namely Angaang -Angtin, Ato-Engan and  Kanipawan
located in Sagada. Said projects were allotted the amounts of P3.5
million each from the  questioned  realignment of  P10 million from a
P15 million Tanulong- Madongo FMR allotted from Pamana funds.

Said complaint  asked probe on the implementation of the same
Ato-Engan FMR allotted P1.3 million from the  BUB listed projects for
2014  monitored by the National Alleviation  Poverty Commission- Department of Interior and Local Government and a P350,000 also  from BUB listed projects in 2013; and a P350
thousand pesos budgeted in 2013 for the same Kanipawan FMR. (Mountain Province Exponent, February 22,2015)


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