Tuesday, October 09, 2007 Work on infra projects suspended on Oct. 19
WORK on all roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects will come to halt on Oct. 19 because of the upcoming elections.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued Resolution 8309, which contains the prohibition on all infrastructure projects.
In line with this, the poll office is requiring all governors, city or town mayors and barangay captains to submit on Oct. 11 a list of public works projects.
The ban does not only cover barangay roads and bridges but includes construction or maintenance works on roads and bridges owned by municipal or provincial governments.
Payment
The Comelec also requires the immediate payment of laborers who may have worked on roads which have to be suspended.
All payments for workers now involved in infrastructure projects must be released completely the day the infrastructure works are suspended.
“In no case shall the earned wage or any portion be retained to be paid only within five days before the elections,” read the resolution, signed by all commissioners except the chairman. (Benjamin Abalos already resigned.)
Fund release
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Commission on Audit (COA) and all their field officers are also prohibited from authorizing the release of any appropriations that may be used for the banned projects.
It is not only the infrastructure services that will stop because of the election ban.
Earlier, Integrated Provincial Health Office Chief Dr. Cristina Giango disclosed that they have also stopped their medical missions in various barangays in the province.
Without the election prohibition, the Capitol conducts two or three medical missions in the remote municipalities, usually serving an average of 500 to 1,000 patients per day.
The Comelec has since been preparing for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 29.
Whether the elections will push through, however, has yet to be seen as Congress will have a recess from its session this week.
President Arroyo has signed as urgent the bill postponing the elections, but the Senate has yet to act on it. (JPM)
