Gatchalian wants Blue Ribbon, ICI to probe overpriced farm-to-market roads

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday he would recommend to the Senate blue ribbon committee and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate the alleged overpriced farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in the country.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said this following his revelation that there were alleged overpriced FMR projects in 2023 and 2024, amounting to P10.3 billion.

"Ako, personally, I would recommend sa blue ribbon na tignan itong farm-to-market roads kasi nga parehong mga contractors eh. Ire-recommend ko rin sa ICI na tignan rin nila itong farm-to-market roads kasi nga unang-una, sobra-sobra ang overpriced. From P15,000 per meter, naging P300,000 per meter. Talagang garapalan na ang overpricing," he said in a press conference. 

(Personally, I would recommend the blue ribbon panel to look into these farm-to-market roads because they have contractors similar to the flood control projects. I will also recommend to the ICI to look at these farm-to-market roads because they are overpriced. From P15,000 per meter, prices soared to P300,000 per meter. The overpricing is really outrageous.) 

According to Gatchalian, an ongoing project in Barangay San Roque in Tacloban City, Leyte is considered the most overpriced project, costing P348,432 per meter. 

The standard cost for FMRs, as set by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is typically at P15,000 per meter, and can even go as low as P10,000 per meter.

The senator added that three contractors in the Top 10 list of "extremely overpriced" FMR projects, were also included in the list of contractors that bagged 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects, as disclosed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in August.

Gatchalian said one of these three contractors, the Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp., is allegedly linked to former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative and House appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co.

"Isa ring nakikita namin, itong contractors ng flood control, hindi limitado sa flood control. Mayroon din silang project sa FMR, tingin ko may projects pa sila sa kalsada, may project sa irrigation," he said.

(We could see that these flood control contractors were not just limited to flood control projects. They also have projects on FMR, on roads, and even irrigation.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News