Sandro blasts Keon for ‘overpriced’ road project proposal

 

Ilocos Norte 1^st district Rep. Sandro Marcos presents the letter requesting Php500 million for the access road project.

Laoag City—Ilocos Norte first district Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos replied to accusations that he is “politicking” when he criticized the Laoag City government’ mall bypass road project.

His criticism of the said project happened during the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections.

He pointed out that even if the proposal letter made by Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon—addressed to the Dept. of Public Works and Highways—was made during the first quarter of this year, Congress only gets to scrutinize the budget proposals for the general appropriations act in September of each year, or when the House of Representatives session resumes after the President’s state of the nation address.

The young Marcos stressed that other than the timing, people should focus on the huge discrepancy between the DPHW project cost and the proposed cost coming from the Laoag City government.

In the proposal from the city government, the project cost reached PHP1 billion, with the total cost shared equally between the national government and the mall owner.

The DPWH, which will implement the project, estimated the cost at PHP30 million.

“Ang total po na cost diyan ay 30 million pesos lamang. Nakalagay na po ya san budget for next year. It will be done by the time that [mall] opens to the cost of 30 million pesos,” Marcos disclosed.

He went on to say that he was surprised to learn that the city government has estimated the project cost at PHP1 billion.

“Because if you can see [referring to Keon’s letter to the DPWH], sa February  2024, ito po yung receiving copy, February 21 ang binigay sa akin, ang hinihingi po ng city [government of Laoag] ay one billion, PHP1 billion, for one road. Now, I asked the DPWH, I asked [DPWH] Sec. Manny Bonoan, ‘bakit ba ‘to nangyari?’ Sabi nya hindi nya alam. Because napakalayo nyan sa totong presyo ng kalsada na kailangang itayo d’yan sa likod ng [mall],” he explained.

The first-term congressman also divulged that the mall owner did not know about the plan for the access road and that they were only informed when they were called to a meeting at the Laoag City Hall.

“Ang sinabi ko [referring to the mall owner’s representative] ‘Bakit, paano ito naging 1 billion?’ Sabi nya, ‘Sir, hindi ko alam kasi nung pumunta kami sa City Hall, sila mismo nagsabi sa amin na 500 million galing sa first district… So, sinabi nya, actually sir, wala naman kaming sinabi na 1 billion yung presyo; actually galing sa City Hall yan. So, sinabi ko, ah, ganoon ba talaga? Kasi ang sinabi sa akin na ang [mall owner] mismo nagsabi ng cost na 1 [billion], eh hindi naman pala totoo,” Marcos stated further.

He went on to say that felt sad that it happened that way and that if he had agreed to the said project cost, PHP470 million would have been wasted.

He stressed that he is not politicking as he only want to ensure that public funds are used properly and with transparency.

In a press briefing last month, Keon said the PHP1 billion budget estimate was a general figure meant to account for “building dikes, as it would run parallel to the Padsan River.” He added, “[There are also] private properties that you will have to acquire.”

In the DPWH “Program of Work/Budget Cost” however, the acquisition of private properties was not included.

“I want to clarify lang, this is the real score. And for me, I’ll just have to say, Laoagueños deserve better. Laoag deserves better. And Laoag needs to do better,” Marcos emphasized.