By Ben Rosario

NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur – The House of Representatives wants the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a special anti-fraud audit of all flood control projects implemented in Bicol region, particularly those located in Catanduanes and Sorsogon, which currently the subject of a congressional inquiry.

This was gathered as claims that Sorsogon got the lion’s share of the infrastructure fund from government among provinces in Region 5 was refuted by official documents released by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Contrary to claims disclosed by lawmakers in Thursday’s Committee on Rules inquiry into anomalous flood control projects in Bicol region, the documents reflected that Albay had the highest allocation at P11.2 billion, while Sorsogon only came in second at P10.5 billion.

House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya told reporters here that COA will be asked to assign a special team of auditors to scrutinize the public biddings and award of some P3.5 billion flood control projects in Sorsogon and Catanduanes.

He pointed out that among infrastructure projects of government, flood control was the most vulnerable to graft.

Andaya said another independent government agency, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), will be asked to examine the bank transactions of the construction firm owned by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s in-law, Casiguran Mayor Edwin Hamor, with other construction firms that cornered rich infrastructure contracts in Region 5.

During the congressional inquiry, Andaya questioned the Department of Budget Management’s (DBM) decision to allocate over P550 million of the P3.5 billion in flood control funds in Casiguran town alone.

Many of the projects were awarded to a joint venture partnership of Aremar Construction, reportedly owned by the Hamor family, and the C.T. Leoncio Construction which is based in Sta, Maria, Bulacan.

Andaya stressed that Casiguran and other Sorsogon towns that received big funding from the DBM were not among the priority Bicol localities considered as flood-prone.

“Casiguran and other nearby towns are safe from flooding for another 25 years,” said Andaya, citing studies conducted by the DPWH.

The senior administration lawmaker said the involvement of an in-law of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno in the implementation of flood control contracts in Casiguran was highly questionable.

Hamor, in a press statement, said he has already divested himself of any interest in the firm he established in 2014, saying that it is now owned and operated by a sister, Grace Hamor Yu, and his daughter, Ma. Minez Hamor.

Hamor also pointed out that Diokno is the father-in-law of his wife Esther’s son from a previous marriage.

Meanwhile, DBM documents showed that other areas got bigger infrastructure funding than Casiguran, tending to indicate that the municipality was not given any special treatment.

Andaya claimed the municipality cornered the funding through the clout asserted by Diokno. Casiguran Mayor Hamor and Vice Governor Ester Hamor are the parents-in-law of Diokno’s daughter.

The DBM papers showed that the questioned amount for Casiguran projects actually covered five projects, namely, the construction and rehabilitation of the Himaoyan flood control (P75 million), the Lungib seawall and embankment (P80.11 million), the Somal-ot seawall and embankment (P100 million), the Cagpagol river control (P45 million), and the Suji river control (P25 million).

Compared to these was the budget for Andaya’s congressional district in Camarines Sur that showed that P771.82 million was allocated for road widening projects for five primary roads and one tertiary road.

In the second district of Camarines Sur, for flood management projects similar to those in Casiguran, the area was allocated P858 million for the construction and rehabilitation of various flood mitigation structures.

Albay’s second district likewise had a funding allocation of P768 million while its special support program that covered projects aimed at promoting tourism destinations and economic zones got P665.48 million.