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Iloilo City, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has confirmed the implementation of a P3.8-million road rehabilitation project in 2004 that led to Savannah, a subdivision complex in Oton town developed by Communities Philippines, upon the request of Senator Manuel Villar.
Communities Philippines is a subsidiary of the Villar-led Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc.
Road works along and leading to the real estate projects of Villar's companies have been of particular concern lately after Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the double budget insertion of a total of P400 million for the C5 road extension that happens to pass by the real estate deals of Villar's companies.
Villar's defenders have said the senator only requested a P200 million-insertion in the 2008 budget to expedite the C5 project and the “double insertion” was not ultimately irregular because each insertion covered a different segment of C-5.
Lacson, nevertheless, filed an ethics complaint against Villar for conflict of interest, saying he had information that Villar's companies earned millions of pesos from right-of-way payments from government for such road projects that could also raise real-estate values.
In this city, DPWH regional director Rolanda Asis said in an interview last Friday that the road rehabilitation project leading to the Savannah project of Villar's company covered Jibao-an road, Pavia town, a section of the national highway from Mandurriao district in Iloilo City to San Miguel town, Iloilo.
It involved the paving of the 586.6 linear meters, Asis said.
“The rehabilitation paved the highway stretch to the entrance of the (Savannah) subdivision,” Asis added.
He added that the stretch to the Savannah subdivision was the only infrastructure project implemented by the DPWH Western Visayas upon the request of Villar.
“So far, that is the only project of [Senator] Villar that we have,” Asis told the Inquirer.
The road rehabilitation project started on August 23, 2004 and was completed on December 30, 2004.
The rehabilitation included the asphalt overlay of a portion of the Jibao-an road, concrete shoulders and sidewalk with curb and gutter, Asis said. A cross drain was also set up to avoid erosion of the road, he added.
Based on the Special Allotment Release Order No. ROVI-2004-249, the road rehabilitation project had an appropriation of P4 million and was contracted by the IBC International Builders Corporation for P3.884 million. /Inquirer
