Making
hay while "son is
up"-there as legislator
IS THE SON OF FORMER
congressman Eladio Jala who is now taking his place as third
district lawmaker making hay while the sun is up?
If
you asked local contractors, the answer is yes.
However,
when Cong. Adam Relson Jala was asked pointedly if it were
true that he caused the clustering of two projects in the
third district, in order to
accommodate a favored contractor, the young solon retorted
that he has no hand whatsoever in this policy. He said it
was the Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) that
was responsible in clustering two projects amounting to P23
million each.
The
local contractors belonging to the Aggrupation of Bohol Builders
&Contractors Association raised a howl when they learned
that thru the intervention of the young legislator, the DPWH
clustered two projects, namely the concreting of junction.
(LIR) Carmen-Sagbayan-Bacani Road and the improvement/concreting
of Tagbilaran-Corella-Sikatuna-Loboc road.
What
apparently triggered the complaint of the contractors was
the publication of the two projects. When the invitation to
bid was posted in the DPWH web site, the two projects were
separated. When it was pulled out from the DPWH web site,
the projects were already clustered.
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However,
succeeding publication in the Manila Standard Today,
the two projects were clustered although the are located
away from each other.
The
contractors viewed this arrangement as a ploy to disqualify
them from bidding the projects.
The
contractors contended that even granting that they can
pool their resources in a joint venture to qualify in
the clustered projects, still they will be disqualified
because they don't have the work experience to boot,
a requirement before a contractor is qualified to handle
the undertaking.
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The
two projects are part of five others to be implemented in
the third district.
With
a total of P231 million, the five projects included a P80
million concreting job in the junction S-Bullones-Jagna road.
At
the same time, the contractors were also piqued about reports
that it was Cong. Jala who worked for the transfer of Engr.
Aramis Torrefranca of the second highway engineering district.
In
a text message to the Post yesterday, the young Jala said
the transfer of Torrefranca was part of DPWH policy. He said
much as he wanted for Torrefranca's stay as district engineer,
he cannot do otherwise because it was in accordance with DPWH
policy.
But
the local contractors saw the transfer differently. They said
that Torrefranca will be transferred effective April 15 because
he has outlived his usefulness as far as the Jalas are concerned.
According
to the grapevine identified with the contractors' group, Torrefranca
will be transferred because he ":can take no more the
dictate of the young Jala" who wants to accommodate a
Cebu-based contractor. Torrefranca will be transferred in
Negros. The same report revealed that Jala brought his own
team in his congressional post and it is the same group that
influences his decision especially in the prosecution of third
district projects.
This
Jala is still in his first term as third district lawmaker.
As
this developed, the contractors sought the help of Gov. Erico
Aumentado to prevent the clustering of the two projects. The
governor advised them to meet the other congressmen-Edgar
Chatto and Roberto Cajes to intervene in the contractors behalf.
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