LEGAZPI CITY—For taking a consistent stand as a leading opposition stalwart and member of the minority bloc in Congress, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Albay’s First District Engineering began 2018 with zero casual employees.
District Engr. Simon Arias could not be contacted for comment, but a visit to his district office here confirmed the absence of hired casual employees that packed the Albay First District engineering office here.
DPWH regional legal officer Oliver Rodulfo said the layoff of all job-order and emergency hired workers at the Albay First District engineering came after opposition leader Edcel Lagman’s district was stripped of close to P2-billion budget under the 2018 General Appropriation Act. Lagman was among the 20 lawmakers reportedly stripped of infrastructure allocations.
A source close to Lagman, said the Bicolano opposition congressman was unfazed of Malacañang’s move stripping his district of the budget. Lagman said the infrastructure allocations were to develop the district’s infrastructure. The source said Lagman would remain a strong human-rights advocate under the Duterte administration.
Rodulfo said the number of casual employees who lost their job as of January was close to 200. Many of them have more than 20 years of service in the DPWH. He said that as far as his office knew, only the Albay First District engineering out of the Bicol 15 district engineering offices got zero allocation for 2018.
Lagman started with his political career during the Cory administration. He was former President Cory C. Aquino’s deputy budget secretary and became a congressman following the 1987 election. His good graces with Cory began his dream to make his district “number one.” True to his dream, Lagman proclaimed his district number one after finishing his first term in Congress boasting his district road network was fully concreted; built bridges, ports, flood control, farm-to-market roads and school buildings erected in almost all barangays.
A retired high-ranking DPWH regional official confirmed Lagman had reigned among the lawmakers in the region in pork-barrel production that stretches during the administrations of Presidents Cory, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. His record in Congress included as chairman of the powerful Committee on Appropriation, and Committee on Justice. As chairman of the justice committee, he filed an impeachment case against then-President Arroyo that did not materialize after it was declared by the Lagman committee all right in form, but not in substance.
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was during the time of Lagman as chairman of the Congress Committee on Justice during the Arroyo administration when pork-barrel funds allegedly through Lagman’s efforts spread regionwide.
Lagman’s political career is complimented by his daughter Krisel Lagman-Luistro and namesake son Edcel Lagman Jr. who succeeded him in Congress every time his three terms ended. He once ran for the Senate, but lost.