Finish what you started.

This in effect was the challenge made by Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim to Rep. Erico Aumentado following reports that the second district solon wants the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to investigate sub-standard road projects in Bohol. Speaking over his weekly radio program “Ang Mayor Sa Dakbayan” aired live over Station DyTR, Lim dared Aumentado to pursue the case if it is proven that there are irregularities committed in the road projects. “If it is true that there are anomalies, we hope that the guilty parties would be punished. If the present administration has revived allegations of various anomalies including the fertilizer scam, it is imperative that the allegations of anomalies in these road projects will not only be revived but prosecuted to their desired conclusion,” Lim declared in Cebuano. A news item that was published in Bohol community papers last Sunday said Aumentado alerted DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson on substandard projects implemented by DPWH 7 before the May 10, 2010 elections.

The news item said Aumentado is gathering documents to support his letter to Singson where he reported his findings, foremost of which is “the terribly substandard Portland Cement Concrete Pavement project on the Tagbilaran North Road, Junction Macaas (Tubigon)-Catigbian Road, Cawayanan section.” Aside from the Macaas-Catigbian-Balilihan-Cortes road, Aumentado enumerated the other substandard roads including those in Panglao island, the Catigbian-Sagbayan road, the Pilar-Alicia road, Sierra-Bullones-Jagna road and the Sagbayan-Carmen road.

The second district solon also specifically mentioned the San Jose, Talibon highway as “substandard”. Since this is Aumentado's first term as congressman after nine years as governor, Lim said there are a few points he wants to consider. First, the mayor said this is a slap on the face of the three former congressmen knowing fully well that they dipped their hands into the projects in their respective districts. “If this is how the projects in their districts turn out, they cannot just wash their hands,” he added, referring to Gov. Edgar Chatto, Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes and lawyer Adam Relson Jala who were congressmen of the first, second and third districts respectively. Without alluding to their involvement in the projects, Lim wonders why there is only deafening silence from all three.

“Jala can claim that since he is now out of politics, he has not visited his district and is unaware about the status of the road projects while Cajes can point to the fact that he is only concerned about Trinidad,” Lim said. The mayor, however, stressed that Chatto cannot raise the same arguments because his handlers claim he is all over the province due to his diligence. “If he was where they say he was, why did he not notice the state of the roads that Cong. Aumentado is now complaining against?” the mayor asked. Saying that he does not want to preempt the investigation that Aumentado requested, Lim said he only wants an assurance from the second district solon that he will finish what he started. “Whether he is running for governor or not, Cong. Aumentado should see to it that he will pursue until its conclusion any case that will be filed in the event that the investigations reveal that there were anomalies in the said projects,” Lim added.