What is happening at the DPWH Catanduanes District Engineering Office is just a reflection of what is wrong with local politics.
For islanders who have followed the events in this paper or through the rumor mill, all these began last year when the newly elected leaders of the province assumed office.
Things would have been normal had the same set of officials won reelection, but a new congressman meant that the province would experience interesting times, as the Chinese would say.
Just two months after the 2022 turnover, the district engineer was marked for ouster as soon as the congressman’s camp began looking for a more ‘malleable’ replacement.
Several ‘floating’ or available DEs or assistant DEs were approached but most, wisely as it turned out, refused upon being apprised of the political situation in Catanduanes.
A district engineer from Camarines Sur, himself targeted by the winning solon in his district for replacement, took the bait and assumed the top DPWH post here.
We all know what has happened: bowing to the wishes of a powerful personality, he signed the request for the transfer of P2 billion in infrastructure projects from the Catanduanes DEO to the regional office.
Aside from the possibility that it would lead to loss of livelihood and business opportunities, it actually deprived engineers at the Catanduanes DEO with little or no projects to supervise and monitor.
The long arm of power reached even section chiefs, with most replaced with those who swore to do as ordered.
But the real reason behind these Machiavellian moves is just the staple of politics in Catanduanes and elsewhere: money and power.
Members of the House of Representatives consider the DPWH offices in their respective districts as their personal piggy banks and they have the power of choosing who they want to run the bank.
Sure, the funding for the projects come from the people, but the honorable representatives decide who gets the contracts and, of course, the commissions that serve as reimbursement (and more) for their campaign expenses or finance the next one.
On the other hand, the governor and some mayors with connections also have their hands in the till, courtesy of senators, other House members and powerful individuals who ‘park’ multi-million projects in the district.
In peaceful times, the congressman allows the ‘parking’ of such projects in the district, as long as no one messes with his own projects.
The problem is that he wants all of it for himself, the ‘parked’ projects included, although in this island’s case he did not have the will to covet the other congressman’s projects.
Unless all sides sit down at a neutral table and agree on a mutually acceptable solution, Catanduanes will continue to be in interesting times until 2025.
Of course, the electorate generally don’t mind.
They have been in this situation for decades that nothing surprises them anymore, from the greed of politicians to the rampant graft and corruption in government, that they take what is given them for their votes every three years as their share in the spoils.
The only problem with this is that while the poor who steal just to eat are sent to prison, those who steal to get rich, and obscenely richer, get away with it.