Senate subpoenas flood control contractors who snubbed blue ribbon committee
Senate President Francis Escudero said on Monday that he has already signed subpoenas for the contractors who skipped the first hearing conducted last week by the Senate blue ribbon committee on the alleged anomalies and corruption in various flood control projects nationwide.
The contractors who have been subpoenaed to attend the next committee hearing scheduled on Sept. 1 include Luisito Tiqui, president of L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.; Cezarah Discaya, president of Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.; Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc; Edgar Acosta, president of Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp. and Marjorie Samidan, authorized managing officer of MG Samidan Construction.
Subpoenas were also issued to Romeo Miranda, president of Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.; Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando, president of St. Timothy Construction Corp.; Aderma Angelie D. Alcazar, president/CEO of Sunwest, Inc.; Eumir Villanueva, president of Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.; and Mark Allan Arevalo, general manager of Wawao Builders.
Of the 15 contractors that President Marcos earlier said had bagged the majority of the government’s flood control projects since 2022, only seven were represented in last week’s hearing.
Motion approved
Their absence prompted Sen. Ronald dela Rosa to file a motion for the issuance of subpoenas that would require them to attend the next hearing. With no objections, the committee chaired by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta approved Dela Rosa’s motion.
The Senate blue ribbon committee started its probe to uncover serious allegations on substandard flood control projects, as well as the disproportionate concentration and awarding of projects to a selected group of contractors.
On Aug. 15, Mr. Marcos demanded an explanation from St. Timothy Construction Corp. over its alleged failure to rehabilitate a river-protection structure in Barangay Bulusan, Calumpit, Bulacan.
During an inspection of the flood control project site, the President found the rehabilitation work unfinished. The contract for the project, worth P96.4 million, had been awarded to St. Timothy and was declared completed in February 2023.
Mr. Marcos also inspected a flood mitigation structure in Barangay Frances, in Calumpit and found that despite the P77.1-million project having been reported as completed, it was unfinished. The contract for the project was awarded to Wawao Builders.
