LEGAZPI CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is taking much delay in rectifying the uncovered fiasco in promotions and appointments due to some resistance in Bicol.
This came about despite Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar’s marching order last September to institute correction on the scandalous promotion for the chief of the construction division in Bicol, currently occupied by an official not qualified for the position according to the credits, points, numerical figures under the Experience and Outstanding Accomplishments report reviewed and validated by the Central Selection Board (CSB).
The promotion and appointment of the chief of the construction division is just among the many alleged scams in Bicol during the previous administrations, according to documents obtained.
Bicol DPWH Regional Director Danilo Versola cannot be contacted for comment following report of his alleged support for his embattled construction division chief, which is causing the delay for the installation of a qualified replacement.
Versola is reportedly against replacing his construction division chief, Cornelio Relativo, whose records and performance ratings that appeared in the report of the CSB did not qualify him for promotion to Engineer V.
The CSB reviewed and validated the final report, which had to Assistant District Engineer Eleanor Areola on top of the list for promotion and appointment to the position Engineer V, chief of Bicol construction division.
The CSB said Areola was followed by the incumbent Assistant Construction Division chief Marilou Sariba, while Relativo came fourth among the four applicants for the position.
The CSB report had been discussed with Villar on September 11 last year, and Versola, who was present, did not pose any objection, according to the memorandum of lawyer Michael Villafranca, chief of the Human Resource Management Service.
But in his memorandum in September last year, Versola reportedly requested the CSB to postpone filling up the vacant position of Engineer V (Chief, Bicol Construction Division). This was followed by another Versola memorandum on October 23, 2017, requesting to remand the CSB evaluation report to the Regional Selection Committee (RSC).
DPWH Regional Legal Officer Oliver Rodulfo said the correction in the assailed promotion and appointment for the chief of the construction division may take some time since the vacancy would need to be republished and resolved again at the RSC level.
The documents said the position of the chief of the Bicol construction division, which requires the rank of Engineer V, had been given to Engr. Cornelio Relativo on February 9, 2017, as officer in charge by then- Regional Director Reynaldo Tagudando on the basis of a disputed RSC validation report.
The RSC has been hounded by scandals in promotions and appointments for decades. One district engineer who asked not to be named for lack of authority to talk said he coughed up much money to get the top rating from the RSC after he was sold a million-peso worth of life insurance.
A complaint filed before the Ombudsman against Tagudando dated October 14, 2016, disclosed that the regional director had earlier promoted Relativo to Engineer IV to become the assistant chief of the Quality Control Division, dislodging two other rivals, including the one who topped the DPWH-Civil Service Promotional Test. On February 9, 2017, Tagudando promoted Relativo to the position of chief of the construction division. The complaint was among those initiated by DPWH Bicol Legal Officer Oliver Rodulfo.
On March 8, 2017, Villar relieved Tagudando and appointed Versola who is from Davao. By August this year, Versola would be retiring from the service.
According to documents, Rodulfo also questioned Tagudando and the RSC on the promotion of one, Engr. Alejandro Arnedo whom Tagudando allegedly promoted to Engineer III against 56 other qualified engineers waiting for promotion. Rodulfo questioned why the records at the Human Resource Management office under Isabelo Alvarez showed only Arnedo’s name as the “lone” applicant for the promotion to the vacant Engineer III item.
The documents showed that on October 17, 2016, Rodulfo wrote to Villar expressing his desire to be a witness in these questionable promotions and appointments, and the rigging of bidding in the regional office.
The delay in the implementation of Villar’s correction order for the top position of the DPWH-Bicol construction division also sparked rumors of alleged strong connections of Relativo with the secretary, and Areola allegedly with the secretary’s wife. Both, Relativo and Areola refused to be interviewed.
