The four-man investigating team formed by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson has summoned officials of the agency’s Project Management Office (PMO) to shed light on 19 alleged questionable flood control projects approved during the Arroyo administration.

DPWH Undersecretary Jaime Pacanan, head of the team, said he issued a subpoena to Project Director Philip Menez of PMO for major flood control project to explain the questionable contracts worth P934 million.

“We will look at contract documents and supporting papers how they came up with the contract because the issue here are the projects did not undergo competitive public bidding and entered into negotiated contract,” Pacanan said.

The team will submit its findings and recommendations to Singson within 10 days or by August 6. It is assisted by the DPWH’s technical working group in the conduct of the investigation of the canceled projects.

Singson has ordered the cancellation of 19 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded infrastructure rehabilitation projects because they entered into and formalized before it was officially approved by the government.

The projects involved the rehabilitation of infrastructure projects damaged by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Pampanga, Cagayan, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Vizcaya Mt. Province, and Kalinga.

They were canceled a few days before President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III delivered his State-of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.

“As of now we need Menez to submit to us the necessary documents but this does not mean that he would be the only one. We might have to summon other (DPWH) officials as we go along (in the investigation),” Pacanan said.

He said they may also summon officials of the department’s Bids and Awards Committee and Planning Service and even former DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo.

“I understand it was the BAC who recommended the negotiated contract to the (DPWH) secretary so we might as well summon (officials) of the BAC,” Pacanan said. “All the signatories in the contract documents based on the order would be invited.”

Part of the investigation, he added, is the “the terms of corruption or leakage not only through the bidding but the project selection or identification.”

Based on the list of approved Contract Packages then later on canceled by Singson, the most expensive project was in Sitio Bato, Barangay San Vicente, San Manuel, Pangasinan, worth P228.7 million to be undertaken by Northern Builders.

Others contractors who bagged the contracts were: Tokwing Construction, Arrowhead Construction, L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc., P.O.N Construction, and Ferdstar Builders Contractors, among others.