Lawyer Cesar Beloria and Fr. Aniceto “Mao” Buenafe*
The Council of Concerned Citizens (CCC) is set to conduct an inspection of all flood control and drainage projects implemented in Bacolod City on Sept. 22 and 23.
They will inspect projects from 2022 to 2025, which were funded through national appropriations and implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bacolod District Engineering Office, lawyer Cesar Beloria said on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Fr. Aniceto “Mao” Buenafe, CCC convenor, in a letter to Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Mayor Greg Gasataya, and Bacolod DPWH OIC District Engineer Leah Jamero, requested for a joint inspection of all flood control and drainage projects in the city.
The initiative is anchored on the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability, he said.
Buenafe said the inspection is necessary so the public can be assured that:
- Public funds for flood control are protected and spent in accordance with the law;
- All projects from prior years, including from 2022 to 2025, are verified to be existing, functional, and constructed according to plans and specifications;
- Issues of possible ghost projects, substandard work, overpricing, or double funding are addressed; and
- The inspection is free from any suspicion of politicking or partisanship.
“This is to ensure that the people of Bacolod are fully informed on how their money has been spent, and to maintain public trust in our institutions,” Buenafe said.*