Sen. Guingona sees possible irregularities in 'SONA' projects

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III on Thursday raised suspicion that there may also be irregularities in the so-called SONA projects in Palawan amounting to P6 billion. "According to [Public Works] Secretary [Rogelio] Singson, meron pang SONA funds totaling to several billion that were spent in the province of Palawan. According to them these are also tainted with anomalies," Guingona told reporters after the hearing on the alleged misuse of Malampaya funds in Palawan. "So we have asked the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) to furnish us the necessary documents," he added. Singson bared during the hearing that Palawan received more funding from the so-called SONA funds than from the Malampaya funds, which amounted to P3.9 billion. He said the province received an aggregate amount of P6 billion from the SONA funds from 2008 to 2010. "Mas malaki 'yung attributables to SONA [but] what is the identified source of the SONA, whether it came from the lump sum, whether it came from Malacañang, that DBM (Department of Budget and Management) can best provide that information," he said. Guingona said these are called SONA funds probably because these were "promised" project funding during a State of the National Address of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. When he asked Singson whether these projects were "also tainted with anomalies" like the Malampaya projects, the DPWH secretary said these were "much higher than normal standard cost." "I consider them relatively one of the highest cost road projects in our country," he said. He explained that the standard cost for a cemented road would be P25 to P30 million, but that projects under the SONA project went as high as P40 million. "Of course they will all just justify that [saying] it is on a difficult terrain, tinaasan, [nasa] tabi ng bundok, all of these could come into play in coming out with the cost," he said. Despite this, Singson said it is still one of the highest costing local projects he has seen. Guingona then asked Singson to furnish him with the documents. If proven that there were anomalies in both projects funded by the SONA and Malampaya, the senator said officials who implemented the projects will be made accountable. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News