Gardiola brother’s infra projects in Davao City overpriced, substandard — COA

MANILA, Philippines – Two projects undertaken by E. Gardiola Construction — a firm registered under the brother Erwin of Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola — were found overpriced and substandard by state auditors. 

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier disallowed the payments made by the Department of Public Works and Highways Davao City District Engineering Office (DPWH-DEO) to the company for their work in the following areas: 

• San Pedro, Jacinto Street, M. Roxas Avenue Extension, Poblacion Road – project prize: P19.287 million, overpriced by 126.48% 
• Ecoland Drive-Matina Road – P19.289, overpriced by 157.63%

On Tuesday, November 25, COA sustained the notices of disallowance in two separate decisions, also affirming that the DPWH officials in Davao City should be held liable for making the disallowed payments for the road rehabilitation projects awarded in 2009. 

While E. Gardiola Construction was given 90 calendar days to finish the road rehabilitation, it finished the first and second projects in 62 and 28 days, respectively. It then received the payment on the same day, February 12, 2010.

COA Region 11’s special audit team noted that the contractor violated the DPWH’s planning standards when it didn’t indicate measurements and landmarks in the plans. 

“Actual inspection of the project revealed that guardrails, road signs, pavement studs, and foundation blocks were deficient and sub-standard,” the auditors said. 

Auditors found, for instance, that E. Gardiola Construction listed as accomplishment the installation of 133 guardrail sets when those were already in place even before it started the rehab works on Poblacion Road. 

COA said the following are liable for anomalous projects: 

First project:

• DPWH-Davao City district engineer Lorna Ricardo
• Assistant district engineer Milagros delos Reyes
• Engineer Dwight Vincent Fernandez
• Engineer Eduardo Villar
• Engineer Johnny dela Pena
• Engineer Lilibeth Sarmiento
• Project inspector Francisco Pilapil 
• Contractor E. Gardiola Construction

Second project: 

• Lorna Ricardo
• Milagros delos Reyes, 
• Dwight Vincent Fernandez
• Eduardo Villar, 
• Lilibeth Sarmiento
• Engineer Alfredo Caballero Jr. 
• E. Gardiola Construction

COA en banc ordered the audit reports to be turned over to the Ombudsman to determine possible criminal charges against those liable. 

Congressman Edwin Gardiola himself is being investigated by the Ombudsman for anomalous DWPH contracts. – Rappler.com