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Neri cites "greed" in BHIP overprice
NERI |
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Former
NEDA Head and current CHED chief Romulo "Romy"
Neri of Bohol has been widely quoted for the now nationally
famous line instruction to ZTE_NBN Consultant (now star
witness) Jun Lozada to help "moderate their greed"
in the scandalously overpriced broadband project by
P 6.5-Billion.
Last
week in a nationally televised and radio-hooked up interview
by the Malacanang press corps, Neri condemned the Bayongan
Dam (BHIP-2) as among those overpriced projects in the
country whose greedy beneficiaries should be moderated.
He had earlier quoted eloquently over ABS-CBN "
Probe" public affairs program -heard nationwide-
that (referring to Bayongan Dam) NIA was "authorized
to buy a Toyota and bought a BMW
instead" through that overpriced dam.
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The NEDA Board approved the project at an original cost of P
1.463 Billion, increasing to P 2.284 Billion and finally to
a final P 3.629-Billion. The project was described by NEDA as
the "most expensive irrigation project" by NIA which
was funded by the Japan Bank for international Cooperation (JBIC),
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The
NEDA found the request for additional funding would
increase the cost of irrigating one hectare from P 300,000
(original) to P 684,000.The controversial irrigation
project was also found to have proceeded with the project
without first obtaining NEDA Investment Coordination
Committee (ICC) approval of project cost over-run per
the terms of the Official Development Assistance Act.
However, the DOJ through the Office of the Government
Corporate Counsel in Opinion No 120 Series of 2007 dated
June 27, 2007 declared that "the contracts for
the construction of the Bohol irrigation Projects 11
are valid and legal."
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In
a recent visit to Bohol, Neri was asked regarding the controversial
payment of the P 700-Million to Korean firm Hanjin Industries
(contractor of the Bayongan Dam), he reluctantly said ' As
Cabinet secretary, I am an alter ego of the President. I just
follow orders.
In
an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, the former NEDA
secretary said that the President gave the "go signal"
for the payment to cover the cost over-run even as the NEDA
Project Evaluation Report showed a 52% increase of P 1.245-Billion.
Neri,
however declined to elaborate when asked if the controversial
Bayongan Dam located in San Miguel (now overflowing) had enough
justification for the additional funding. The province experienced
unusual continuous heavy rains during the past few days at
that time.
The
project aims to irrigate 5,300 hectares of potential ricelands
covering barangays Los Angeles and Buenavista in Ubay, Brgys.
Camanaga, Sto Nino and Bayongan in San Miguel and barangay
La Suerte in Pilar. According to Engr Membreve, Project Manager
of the Bayongan Dam , an initial 700 hectares have been irrigated
pending completion of main and lateral canals.
An
estimated 3605 farmers are expected to benefit from the project.
(With report from Chito Visarra)
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