"BHIP-2 execs liable
for illegal fund use"
By KIT BAGAIPO

NIA UNDERFIRE AGAIN. Bohol Irrigation Project Manager Modesto Membreve is faced with yet another controversy as questions are raised on the purchase of "luxury vehicles" for two public officials even as project cost overrun has yet to be resolved by the Justice department. Above foto shows Membreve (l) with members of the media at the Bayongan Dam in San Miguel town. Foto DANNY REYES

Administrators of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage-2 (BHIP-2) can be charged of technical malversation of funds for the purchase of two luxury vehicles being used by the governor and a congressman. The fund used for the vehicle purchase was taken from the irrigation project which was admitted by BHIP-

In a separate interview with the radio program, former National Irrigation Authority (NIA) project manager Engr. Petronilo Sarigumba, who is also the whistleblower of the anomalous Talibon Dam, said that Gov. Erico Aumentado and 2nd District Rep. Roberto Cajes are not supposed to get a vehicle since they are not directly involved with the BHIP-2 implementation.

Former NEDA boss, now presidential consultant for education, Romulo Neri called the BHIP-2 the most expensive irrigation project of the country, calling the cost over-run as "excessive".

Neri said that continued construction of the BHIP-2 without prior NEDA-ICC endorsement is violative of the law and "illegal".

The Bayongan Dam, Sarigumba pointed out, is "wholly a NIA project and those not directly responsible or involved in the implementation of the project are not entitled to receive a service vehicle."

Since only NIA is involved in the BHIP-2, no other agency is supposed to supervise the project, he said.

Based on his experience as former irrigation project manager, Sarigumba said, there were former NIA officials who acquired vehicles similar to what the BHIP-2 officials had done. They were also charged for technical malversation of funds.

GUV'S INCONSISTENCY

Sarigumba criticized Gov. Aumentado as "very inconsistent" in his stand, referring to how the governor acted when the P165-million anomaly of the Talibon Small Reservoir Impounding Project was exposed.

The governor said he had nothing to do with the project (Talibon Dam) as it is being implemented by the national government, according to Sarigumba.

However, Aumentado was quick to defend the Bayongan Dam cost over-runs and even lobbied for the release of funds for its completion.

FAULTY ENGINEERING?

Asked to comment on the proposed redesign and improvement of the Malinao Dam (BHIP-1) in Pilar town, Sarigumba said NIA's request for P1.2 billion for the completion of the Bayongan Dam should instead be used for the rehabilitation of the Malinao Dam.

Even if the P1.2 billion is released for the completion of BHIP-2, there is no assurance that it will be fully operational and could irrigate its designated service area, Sarigumba stressed.

Bayongan Dam is largely dependent on the excess water coming from the Malinao Dam.

"Apparently, there is no excess water to speak of as the Malinao Dam could only service about 65% of its service area," Sarigumba said, "Malinao Dam itself has its own problems."

The Malinao Dam project study did not match its actual implementation, he said.

There is a need to develop and protect the watershed area of the Malinao irrigation system to sustain its supply of water, according to Sarigumba.

When the Malinao infrastructure project was implemented the reforestation should have been undertaken simultaneously, he explained.

Bayongan Dam is useless without water from Malinao, the former only having 5,000 hectares of watershed area, Sarigumba concluded.