The chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on housing and urban development has recommended to the National Housing Authority the suspension of more construction firms involved in government housing projects in connection with the congressional investigation into the collapse of a wooden bridge leading to stilt houses for the victims of the Zamboanga siege in 2013.
Negros Oriental Rep. Albee Benitez, the panel chairperson, said general manager Marcelino Escalada deserves “half commendation” for the effort to run after erring contractors, and at the same time, hold them accountable by filing criminal charges and have them blacklisted from all government housing projects.
“At the end of the day, it is still a question of how we hold people accountable. The NHA must have a bigger role to play because they are the lead agency in this project,” Benitez said during the hearing Tuesday.
Escalada told lawmakers that he already issued show cause orders to 50 contractors asking them to explain why they should not be held accountable for various offenses.
“Eight to ten are involved in having multiple awards in the past. We are also conducting regular inspection and monitoring of all our housing projects,” Escalada told the Benitez’ panel.
Benitez earlier sought a congressional inquiry into the integrity of housing projects for families rendered homeless following man-made and natural disasters.
Benitez, together with Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco and Rep. Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City and members of an inspection team, were on their way to the housing area when the footbridge that they had to negotiate collapsed, making them fall into a creek in Sitio Hong Kong, Barangay Rio Hondo.
The incident happened while Benitez and his team of inspectors were on an inspection tour of housing and community facilities built by the government for the Zamboanga siege victims. Only minor injuries were reported.