TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways Leyte 4th District Engineering Office denied accusations of Albuera Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” on alleged ghost projects, particularly flood control infrastructure and a fish port in the municipality.
In a public statement issued on Wednesday, the DPWH Leyte 4th DEO said both the Albuera Leyte Port and Benolho Flood Control projects are “legitimate government-funded projects with relevant documentation.”
Earlier, Espinosa, both in his Facebook Live video and media interviews, questioned the accomplishments of DPWH on the two projects that were barely done contrary to alleged claims of 80 percent accomplishment.
He added that the port looks to be made of lumber based on the materials found at the site, far from the P17 million worth of port that he is expecting. “If this is linked to our old pier, this will not make the economy of Albuera improve,” Espinosa said in the video.
Espinosa even went on to call out Leyte 4th Rep. Richard Gomez to look at what his men were doing, referring to DPWH Leyte 4th DEO District Engineer Peter Scheler Soco.
In one of his videos, Espinosa said Soco has already amassed wealth and increased his property. Soco could not be reached for comments.
In its statement, the district engineering office said the Benolho Flood Control Project was completed and that the footage that was shown where the project could not be seen was taken from the opposite side of the project giving a misleading impression.
It added that in 2025, there is no flood control project programmed for Benolho.
On the Albuera Leyte Port project, the district engineering office said that the actual accomplishment rate to date is at 51.10%. The works include structural excavation, shoring and cribbing, reinforcing steel, structural concrete and sheet piles.
The DPWH district office said other materials that were fabricated off site such as reinforcing steel bars and sheet piles that are ready for installation have not yet been delivered to the project site due to limited storage space and their vulnerability to corrosion.
It added that 25.5% of the project’s allocated funds have already been disbursed.
The DPWH office also bared that construction activities have been halted after the affected lot owner denied access to the project site denying the contractor from carrying further works.
DPWH Leyte 4th DEO also said that the coco lumber that were seen at the site were unremoved formworks that were used in the pouring of concrete capping.
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