HOUSE committee on urban development chairperson and Negros Occidental Representative Alfredo Benitez on Thursday, May 3, vowed to investigate the housing project in Zamboanga City after its wooden footbridge collapsed last week, causing him and government officials to fall into the water.
Benitez said among the subjects of the congressional inquiry his committee will be conducting is the cost of the wooden bridge, which was reported at P12 million.
The lawmaker said that he was surprised to know that the wooden footbridge, funded by the National Housing Authority (NHA) cost P12 million.
"Tingin ko ang cost non ay P1 million lang o baka mas mura pa. Nagulat ako na P12 million (I think it cost only P1 million or less. I was shocked to learn that it was P12 million)," he said.
"Ito ang magiging subject ng investigation (This will be the subject of an investigation)," he added.
Benitez said his committee will also look into the cost of the houses erected in Barangay Rio Hondo.
"Ordinarily, yung isang housing unit na tinatayo ng NHA sa lupa na semento umaabot ng P240,000 per unit. Dito sa house on stilts na ininspection natin, ang cost niya ay P220,000. Mas mura lang nang P20,000," he said.
(A concrete housing unit built by the NHA costs P240,000. The house on stilts that we inspected cost P220,000, only P20,000 less.)
Benitez said his committee will investigate the anomalous housing project once the House resumes session on May 15.
Aside from Benitez, Zamboanga City Representative Celso Lobregat, Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, and NHA officials also fell into murky waters last Thursday, after the wooden footbridge collapsed. (SunStar Philippines)