The local government of Tapaz declared the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 2nd Engineering District head as persona non grata after the latter transferred the fund intended for the farm-to-market road (FMR) to Dumalag town.
The Sangguniang Bayan approved a resolution declaring engineer Dene Baldonado as unwelcome.
The move was supported by Mayor Roberto “Nonong” Palomar.
Baldonado reportedly diverted the fund of some P600 million from Tapaz to Dumalag’s proposed municipal hall building and town’s public market projects amounting to P250 million and P200 million, respectively.
“The mandate of DPWH is to construct national roads, bridges, flood control and to provide FMRs and the very beginning, Baldonado wala gid may ginawa na project sa Tapaz” Palomar said.
According to the mayor, he asked some P1.2 billion worth of development projects for Tapaz from Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang in order to solve insurgency and poverty problems in his town.
He lamented that those municipal hall building and public market were not approved by Provincial Development Council (PDC) and Regional Development Council (PDC).
The mayor also tagged Baldonado as New People’s Army (NPA) recruiter after he (Baldonado).
“They are magicians of the funds” Palomar said referring to DPWH personnel.
IMT NEWS tried to get Baldonado’s comment but he was not available.
Meanwhile, an engineer in the same office, who requested not to be identified, told IMT News that it was not Baldonado who transferred the funds from Tapaz to Dumalag. “It was the regional office of DPWH.”
“It’s beyond his (Baldoando’s) level of authority to remove or delete such funds,” he said.
He explained that an Engineering District head has no authority to handle projects worth more than P100 thousand.IMT
