BULACAN Gov. Daniel Fernando and other provincial officers are facing graft and corruption charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in the implementation of a massive flood control project as a long-term solution to the province’s decades-old problem of inundation.
A self- confessed whistleblower from the provincial government, Francisco Balagtas, on Mon. Alexander Castro and several others “in conspiracy with TCSC Corp. owners and corporate officers Dionesio Toreja and Bernie Pacheco.”
“It has come to my attention through thorough scrutiny and documentation that Governor Fernando in concert with individuals purportedly affiliated with TCSC Corp. has orchestrated a series of actions that appear to contravene numerous legal statutes and regulations. These actions have cast a shadow over the integrity and transparency of the public procurement processes associated with the aforementioned project,” the three-page sworn complaint-affidavit read.
The complaint alleged that the respondents could have violated Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for granting “warranted benefits or advantages to TCSC without adhering to the requisite fair and competitive selection processes and procedures mandated by law.”
He claimed there was no publication to invite participants to the project bidding process.
“There was a compelling evidence indicating possible violation of Department of Public Works and Highways Administrative Order No. 139, Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 of 2019, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources AO 2020-07,” he cited. The river’s dredging and restoration methodologies may prima facie contravene Section 103 of RA 7942 of the Mining Act, he said.