Villar reveals alleged ‘desilting modus’ of some contractors

Senator Cynthia Villar herself came to question the desilting project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which aims to dig and deepen the estuaries and other rivers in the country that cause flooding especially during the rainy season.

According to Villar, they experienced in Las Piñas a stagnant desilting project despite the DPWH sending them equipment.

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She said she first discovered the modus operandi of the corrupt contractors in the desilting project from an official of the Pampanga provincial government.

“Kaya ko rin nalaman yan, si Governor Pineda ng Pampanga, sinabi ko rin kay Mark (Villar), ibinibida niya sa akin yung mga contractor daw ng nagde-desilt hindi naman daw nagde-desilt, tapos yung mga empleyado ‘pinagbibili pa yung mga gasolina sa fisherman, so talagang hindi talaga maganda yang kontrata ng desilting. Na-experience ko din iyan sa Las Piñas na binigyan ako ng DPWH non na hindi man lang umandar maski isang minuto yung nagdesilt, nasingil yung desilting,” said Villar.

Villar reveals alleged ‘desilting modus’ of some contractors

Villar said that during the time of her son Mark Villar in the DPWH, they themselves carried out desilting after discovering the modus operandi of corrupt contractors.

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Villar advised, just to give each local government unit (LGU) equipment for desilting and leave it to them to desilting estuaries and rivers in the country.

DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said that after the rehabilitation of the Baywalk in Manila, they will focus on desilting about 300 estuaries in Metro Manila and the project will include the distribution of backhoes and dredging equipment to LGUs.

“This is the first time na ma-isyuhan yung mga local government units ng backhoe, for bidding na po yata ito. We have just started lang dito sa Baywalk but the bigger part will be part of all the 300 esteros for Metro Manila,” said Cimatu.

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Cimatu added that desilting and dredging operations in the Cagayan River and Marikina River have also been carried out with the help of the DPWH.

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