Protester to Sue DPWH at the SC on Its “Illegal” Sea Walls' Project

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The leader of the protesters against the construction of the sea walls in the Lingayen Gulf will sue officials of the Department of Public Works and Highway anytime from now with a temporary restraining order (TRO) at the Supreme Court.

“Basta ready na kami mag file. May abugado na kami naka ready na sa TRO muna, Writ of Kalikasan, administrative (case) susunod na iyan. TRO doon mo titingnan basis mo. Di pa masabing government project iyan kasi hindi pa na consummate iyong mga requirements,” retired Police Colonel Mariano “Sonny” Verzosa told Northern Watch Newspaper.

THE CONTROVERSIAL under siege sea walls (top photo) constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III (extreme left), leader of the protesters retired police Col. Mariano Verzosa and Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera.

He said the technical malversation’s criminal suit will also follow after the TRO and the administrative case against the DPWH officials assigned at the offices in the region based at San Fernando City, La Union and in the 2^nd District Engineering Office here.

Verzosa deplored how glaring the abuse of authority and gross negligence of the DPWH officials lead by Regional Director Ronnel M. Tan and District Engineer Editha Manuel in building the 920 - meter phase-1 of the walls that cost the government P75 million.

The 10 kilometers wall purported to prevent the waves that flood the residences of the inhabitants on the shore from Lingayen to Binmaley will be P1.7 billion of the taxpayers’ money. The fishermen here and in Binmaley oppose the walls because they would prejudice their livelihood. Verzosa said the sand dunes are enough to parry the waves to go to the residential areas.

                        GOVERNOR EXPOSES THE WISDOM OF THE DPWH

During the public hearing conducted by the provincial lawmakers in September 14, Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III exposed with his searching questions the representatives of the DPWH from the regional and provincial offices about the absence of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), violation of the project on the P75 million appropriation from the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) included in the 2023 General Appropriation Act and the Presidential Decree No. 156 Series of 1993.

The P75 million TRIP allocated it to the stretches of the baywalk in Lingayen to Binmaley, Pangasinan.

The governor told the DPWH officials that the project made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet file and concrete materials deviated from the TRIP.

“Dapat gumawa kayo ng drainage, taniman ninyo ng puno, nag asphalt overlay kayo. Pero gumawa kayo ng sea wall napakalayo doon sa existing na baywalk. O di ba,  ano iyan? Technical malversation iyan? (Inaudible) technical malversation kasi iba ang project title sa ginawa ninyo!” Guico told the middle level public works officials sent by their supeirors to answer the inquiries of the provincial officials and other stakeholders. These officials have been at a loss to answer the questions not only by the governor but with the others who joined the jam packed public hearing held at the Training Center in the Capitol here.

  Guico pointed out that the DPWH personally stated the construction has no approved ECC from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources.

He bared that the DPWH executives violated PD No. 156 signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos who proclaimed the Gulf as an environmentally critically area.

The proclamation mandates that the natural features of the gulf must be protected and outdoor recreation must be enhanced, among others.

Guico cited that the under siege project stands on an environmentally critical area.

“What have you done?” he posed to them.

     BINMALEY MAYOR QUESTIONS THE COMPETENCE OF THE ENGINEERS

The governor and Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera – a former District Engineer of Quezon City – questioned the conspicuous absence of Manuel and Tan.

“Alam niyo kasi ang problema andito ang gobernador, vice governor lahat ng board members inexpect naman namin sana iyong mga head ninyo ay magpakita dito para masagot ang katanungang ito, di ba? Sasabihin ninyo hindi ninyo level pero sana nandito sila. Tawagan ninyo ang head, hepe ninyo,” Guico told the officials of the DPWH.

Merrera said he did not see any file bearing on the seawalls built on the sea shore of his town. He doubted if the DPWH considered the per square inch of the swash of the waves against the walls. He questioned too the small three inches in diameter pipeline constructed by the public works to mitigate flooding on the residential areas near the shoreline. The pipeline is where the flood water enters and exits to the sea.

“I don’t know I have to challenge your direct engineering kung pinag-aralan ninyo mismo ang pinag-aralan ninyong sea wall kasi its people’s money. It’s people money! So sabi ko with your presentation lang e kung ako ang tatanungin ninyo di papasa sa akin and then I challenge also your regional director”.