House panel aims to finish report on Cagayan flooding probe by January

The House Committee on Agriculture and Food is targeting to have its report on the Cagayan flooding probe ready before Congress resumes session in January next year, panel chairman Quezon Representative Mark Enverga said Wednesday.

In a media forum, Enverga said the hearings on the Cagayan flooding issue may still continue even after the House adjourns its sessions this week so that they could have the committee report ready by January.

"Definitely we will have to do about one or two more hearings before we file a committee report. Tsaka of course ang target namin, during the break i-hearing namin ito para makalabas na tayo ng committee report by the time na makabalik tayo sa recess ng Kongreso," he said.

The hearings, however, will depend on the availability of the House members who will inquire with concerned agencies about the issue.

"We have to check 'yung members kung 'yung magiging available. Ako presumption ko naman magiging available naman 'yung members," he said.

"But by January, siguro basta before, pagbalik namin, we will finish the inquiry dun sa Magat Dam issue para may committee report na rin kami by the time that we resume session sa January," he added.

The inquiry, jointly conducted by the Committees on Agriculture and Food and on North Luzon Growth Quadrangle, stemmed from the resolution filed no less than by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano urging the House to look into what caused the massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

Specifically, the lawmakers wanted to find out the circumstances that led to the rapid inflow of water into the reservoir, as well as the possible non-compliance with laws, rules, or regulations that may have contributed to the swelling of Cagayan River.

At the same time, they also wanted the House to look into the decision of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to open the spillway gates of Magat Dam, and if such a move was done following established guidelines and protocols.

A separate resolution calling for an investigation was filed by Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy on the “untimely and irresponsible” opening of floodgates of dams and watersheds in Luzon during the onslaught of the typhoon.

The joint panels have so far conducted only one hearing on the matter last November 24, and Enverga observed that there was a scarcity of resource persons present in their previous meeting.

He said they would have wanted top level officials to answer the questions propounded by the members since they are the most qualified to respond.

"Instead, ang ginawa naman namin for the meantime, sumulat na kami sa agencies para mahingi namin 'yung mga kinauukulan na mga dokumento saka 'yung ilan sa mga katanungan ng mga member natin," Enverga said.

Nevertheless, NIA chief Ricardo Visaya maintained during the previous hearing that the opening of the water gates of Magat Dam was not the major cause of the flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.

He also said concerned offices and individuals who may be affected by the release of water are warned at least six hours before the release of the water from Magat Dam.

Visaya added that the release of water from Magat Dam was done gradually and not all at once. —KG, GMA News