Four Biliran officials face a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly conspiring with a construction firm to corner more than P1 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
In the complaint, Lord Allan Garcia accused House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Biliran Rep. Gerardo “Gerryboy” Espina Jr., Gov. Rogelio Espina, Vice Gov. Roselyn Espina-Paras, and Naval Mayor Gretchen Espina of colluding to award contracts to Roving Premier Construction, a firm reportedly headed by Irvin Paras, the husband of the vice governor.
“The reason why I filed a plunder case, even if it’s really difficult to prove, is because of the huge amount involved — it’s a billion-peso transaction,” Garcia said.
“It’s because of the connivance of the local executives in Biliran. They have their own construction company, which is Roving Premier Contractors.”
He added, “The president [of the construction firm] is Irvin [Paras], the husband of the vice governor. The COO (Chief Operating Officer) is Rosalyn Espina-Paras, the sitting governor. And the other officials are the mother-in-law, the son, and the daughters. They’re exclusively Espina and Paras. They are enriching themselves — yumaman dahil sa pagnanakaw sa aming probinsya.”
Garcia said his evidence includes DPWH contracts awarded to the company from 2020 onward, bearing Paras’ signature. “Upon review, it was discovered that approximately 80 percent of the listed projects were awarded to a single contractor — Roving Premier Contractors. This excessive concentration of awards indicates a clear pattern of favoritism, monopoly, and collusion between provincial officials and said contractors,” the complaint stated.
He also alleged that several of the firm’s projects were “defective, substandard, and prematurely damaged,” showing “deliberate cost manipulation” and “fraudulent implementation” of infrastructure projects in Biliran and Naval.
According to the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, the construction firm was awarded a total of P330 million worth of 11 flood control projects in Biliran since 2022.
Garcia expressed hope that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla would act swiftly on his complaint. “My prayer is immediate suspension pending investigation. I hope that Ombudsman Remulla will look into this in detail. They have to act fast and resolve this matter. We are crying in Biliran for justice, accountability, and transparency for all the projects,” he said.
As of press time, the implicated officials have yet to issue any statement regarding the allegations.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Biliran politicians accused of cornering P1b worth of infra deals”
