A citizen’s complaint has been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Camarines Sur 4th District Representative Arnie Fuentebella and several officials over two allegedly anomalous flood control projects totaling ₱84.19 million.
The complainant, Romeo Aguirre Penilla, lodged the case against Fuentebella, DPWH 4th District engineers Gemma Timbang and Nestor Gorimbao, and contractors Alfonso Rivero and Abner Ferrer.
The respondents are accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Government Procurement Reform Act, alongside administrative charges of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
The controversy involves two specific infrastructure projects:
- Sagñay River Flood Mitigation (₱37.2M): Funded in 2018, the project reportedly suffered from “widespread structural deficiencies” and the omission of major components.
- Garchitorena Seawall (₱46.99M): Funded in 2022, inspections allegedly revealed missing steel sheet piles and substandard pavement thickness despite being declared 100% complete.