CITY OF MALOLOS — Bulacan officials led by Gov. Daniel Fernando conducted Friday afternoon (May 10) a press briefing on the Bulacan River restoration dubbed “LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THE TRUTH” in the Pavillion, Hiyas Ng Bulacan Convention Center here.
The press briefing was conducted after news report said “A corruption scandal erupted in Bulacan province after a graft suit was filed against Bulacan Gov. Fernando, Vice Gov. Alex Castro, other officials, and a private contractor before the Ombudsman over the P500 million Bulacan Flood Control and River Restoration Project.
The whistleblower was identified in the report as Francisco Balagtas who filed a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman on May 6, 2024 that was dated May 1, 2024.
During the press briefing, the governor challenged the complainant to come out in the open on the alleged anomalous river dredging project in the province
The governor said the complainant’s allegations ” coming out in messengers, social media and some broadsheets are false, twisted half-truths and certainly a misinformation and political demolition campaign.
“Kung susuriin ang kunyaring formal complaint, malayo po sa talino at katuwiran ng bayaning si Balagtas kung sinuman itong malisyosong nagkukubli sa marangal na pangalan ng ating bayani. Tigilan mo na ng kalokohan mo. Kung ako a ng larget ninyo, lumantad kayo atmagsiwalat./ Managutan kayo at lumaban sa isang matapat at patas na pakikipagtunggali na tulad ng isang tunya na Bulakenyo. Lumantad ka, sa iyong tunay na pangalan at pagkatao, kasama ng sino mang nag-uutos sa iyo,” Gov. Fernando said in his press briefing.
Fernando added the complainant claimed that there was no public procurement process wherein the governor explained that the project is not covered under Republic Act 9184 and cited that under “DENR DAO No. 2020-07, Section 5 which states: No funding from the government shall be made for the conduct of dredging activities by the private sector. Holders if dredging clearance shall provide the financing, technology, management and personnel necessary to implement dredging activities within the exclusive river dredging zone.”
To settle the issue once and for all, Fernando said that in 2020 they adhere to the DENR Administrative Order No. 2020-07 and signed Executive Order No. 07 Series of 2021 that led to the creation of an inter-agency committee that aims to “palalimin ang priority dredging zones sa ating lalawigan.”
He said this is a program of the national government and after almost three years of comprehensive planning, “handa na tayong isakatuparan ang pinakamalaking hakbang upang wakasan Ang deka-dekadang pagbaha sa ating lalawigan.”
“Kaya naman ako ay tumitindig para sa isang panawagan — kung target ninyo ay si Daniel Fernando, huwag na ninyong idamay ang ating kawawang mga kababayan. Huwag ang pansariling interes ang isipin natin — kundi ang kapakanan ng bawat Bulakenyo. Huwag ninyong hadlangan ang isang napakagandang proyekto na sa loob ng halos limampung taon ay naglalayong mahango sa hirap at pasakit ng pagbaha sa lalawigan na matagal nang tinitiis ng ating mga kababayan. Patungkol sa mga nagkalat ng maling balita, we shall exhaust all legal means against perpetrators,” the governor added.
He pointed out that the TCSC Corporation has been issued dredging clearance by the Department of Public Works and Highways and not by the governor while the environment clearance certificate was issued to the same company by the DENR EMB to dredge Bulacan’s offshore delta and the five priority rivers in Bulacan that include Angat, Pamarawan, Malolos, Hagonoy and Guiguinto Rivers. (With a report from Mon Lazaro)
