LEGAZPI CITY—A probe has been ordered to unearth anomalies surrounding the controversial and barely started multibillion-peso Mayon circumferential road project.
An unimpeachable source, speaking on condition of anonimity for lack of authority to talk, said that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Danilo Versola has ordered the creation of a team to investigate the controversial road project.
The source said the start of the probe was supposed to be on Monday, which was declared a non-working day on account of a two-day transport strike. The source said that, among the engineers who will compose the probe team are Egan Nunez of the regional DPWH Construction Division, Raymund Yap, Maintenance Division; Constantino Antimano, Planning Division, and Ruben Nunez, Quality Control Division.
The investigation will reportedly dwell on the technical aspect of the project, including the many allegations of violations aired by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), DENR and netizens.
This developed after the Phivolcs and the DENR complained about the violations allegedly committed by the DPWH. Phivolcs said Mayon has a diameter of 261.4 kilometers.
Consisting of two contracts, the circumferential road project started in the upper village of Barangay Bonga in Bacacay town and Barangay San Roque of neighboring Malilipot town.
The project was strongly opposed and criticized in the social media, with netizens saying cutting of trees and road constructions would only trigger soil erosion and severe flooding in the lowland.
Mountain climbers also hit the DPWH for allegedly destroying the mountain trails.
Former Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Marcial Tuanqui urged the government to stop the Mayon road construction, asking how the project was able to hurdle the Regional Development Council, headed by Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara as chairman. Worse, the project started without the consent of Phivolcs and the required permits from the DENR.
Tuanqui feared that should the project push through, it would become another source of kickbacks for the implementing agency and the lawmakers who would fight for their own favored contractors in the guise of infrastructure development.
But District Engr. Simon Arias of the Albay First District Office said his office is only constructing roads and road improvements that would connect to existing roads in the upper villages of Mount Mayon.
Arias refuted the Phivolcs claim that the roads they are constructing have intruded into the 6-kilometer Mayon permanent danger zone (PDZ).
The embattled district engineer said the proposed Mayon circumferential road is virtually unknown to his office, saying the ongoing road constructions and improvements were intended as added routes during evacuation of residents in case of Mayon eruption. At the same time, they will also serve as farm-to-market roads.
Last week Party-list Rep. Arnel Batocabe of Ako Bicol said in a radio interview that the Mayon circumferential road project once completed would serve as an alternate route for the province’s 16 municipalities and three cities surrounding Mayon Volcano. He said that many in the upland barangays outside the PDZ have indicated support for the road construction so that their lands would also appreciate in value.
The Phivolcs said the road constructions for the 261.4-km circumferential road intrude into the 6-km PDZ. Resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said the project would certainly lead to the creation of entrances to the PDZ, which is a “no man’s land.”
DENR Asst. Regional Director Roberto Sheen said in a news conference the cutting of trees in the construction sites was being done without the permit to cut, adding the project did not also have the required environmental clearance certificate.
The DENR executive said the DENR will file criminal and other charges against DPWH executives for violations committed.
DENR officials also feared that the road project will disturb the sanctuary of wild animals.
Earlier, the DENR ordered the P19-million road construction and improvement stopped. The project, which affects the Mayon protected area in Barangay Lidong, Santo Domingo town, is under contract with Sanrho Construction.
Gov. Al Francis Bichara Spokesman Danny Garcia said the governor was not aware that the proposed multibillion-peso Mayon circumferential road project had passed through the Regional Development Council.
DPWH records showed the project was started in June with a P50-million funding for the 2-km Bonga road construction and improvement and P10 million for the San Roque 1-km road construction and improvement.