Lawmakers will conduct a series of investigations to determine the officials of government agencies as well as other involved in the alleged multi-million irregularities in the construction of houses for victims of Typhoon “Yolanda.”
Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, said his panel would conduct a joint investigation with the House committee on good government and public accountability, “to get all the facts and make necessary recommendations” against individuals responsible for the housing units in the towns of Hernani and Belangiga which were reportedly built using substandard construction materials.
“This is a double-whammy for the Yolanda victims. They have already experienced the great tragedy, dadagdagan pa ng ganito,” Benitez said at a news conference.
At the same time, Benitez said the National Housing Authority should explain why it allowed the sub-contracting policy of the housing units and allegedly favored one contractor whom he identified as JC Tayag.
This developed as Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez supported the efforts of her fellow legislators to hold responsible the parties involved in the anomalies.
“How can you take advantage of people during disasters? Those responsible behind the supposed substandard housing projects and other irregularities should be held liable. They should not make business out of the sufferings of Yolanda victims,” Kittilstvedt-Romualdez said.
“Two months from now, we are going to commemorate the fourth year Yolanda anniversary (Nov. 8), it is really painful that this development will greet us. It seems that we are victimized once again by another typhoon with a magnitude similar to Yolanda,” she added.
She also appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to hold accountable the parties involved in the anomalies uncovered by the Benitez panel.
“I know the President is a no non-sense action man and very much determined to address corruption,”Kittilstvedt-Romualdez said.
“Since it involves people’s money. We really need to get to the bottom of these controversies,” she added.
Benitez’s panel earlier conducted in Tacloban City a two-day public hearing and on-site inspections of housing and community building projects for Yolanda victims funded by the government.
Benitez revealed that as of July 31, 2017, only 33 percent of the housing projects, or 67, 754 units were completed; while 11.4 percent, or 23, 414, were occupied.
A total of 205, 128 housing units are targeted to be built and 73, 286 units are on going contraction, Benitez said citing the findings of their congressional inquiry.
He said the government has set aside a total of P75.7 billion for the housing and resettlement for the Yolanda victims; P60.02 billion were appropriated under the General Appropriations Bill; P50.86 billion issued with the Special Allotment Release Order and P48.64 billion obligated or used funds.
“This is a big anomaly as far as housing is concerned,” said Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, who earlier filed House Resolution 599 which called for a probe into the alleged anomalies in the construction of houses for Yolanda victims.
Both Benitez and Evardone said Camilo Salazar, an engineer and sub-subcontractor for the Yolanda housing projects, testified during the public hearing in Tacloban City that substandard construction materials were used to construct the Yolanda housing projects. Salazar was a constituent of Evardone.
Evardone said Salazar identified his principal contractor as JC Tayag whom the congressman revealed has cornered almost 70 percent housing projects of the NHA.
“The NHA has never conducted monitoring of the housing projects built,” he said.