Iloilo City Rep. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda strongly pushed back against allegations of “ghost” or substandard projects in her district.
“Just like what I said right after the SONA of President Marcos, I welcome any and all investigations into the infrastructure projects in the legislative district of Iloilo City,” she said in a statement.
Baronda was reacting to a request for a fraud investigation into DPWH-Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) projects facilitated for funding by her office.
“I can assure everyone that the innuendos and assertions that there are ghost and substandard projects in the city whose funding requirements have been facilitated by this representation would be proven to be falsehoods,” she said.
“Aside from mere allegations, NO project was identified as a ghost, and NO project was indicated as nonfunctioning. In sum, all are just propaganda,” the lady lawmaker added.
Baronda urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to conclude its probe swiftly so “that the malicious imputation would be slapped with the truth that these projects are aboveboard and are not tainted with graft and corruption.”
To recall, President Marcos criticized the delays and poor implementation of flood control projects following his inspection of two flood mitigation projects in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro district in August.
“Sa aking pagbisita sa Iloilo, nakita natin ang mga delayed at palpak na flood control projects na lalo pang nagpapalala ng pagbaha,” Mr. Marcos said in a social media post.
