ASEAN

LIGHTS
LOOTED Over 20 streetlights never
lighted, end up vandalized
by Jolene R. Bulambot
CORRESPONDENT

R esidents of barangay Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City

thought their prayers for brighter roads at night were an-
swered when about 20 streetlights were installed in Novem-
ber 2006, two months before the 12th Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
But to their dismay, the P6-million pro- ing some streetlights several months after
ject of the Department of Public Works and these were installed.
Highways (DPWH) was never lighted. Caballero, 54, said they didn't know who
More than a year after the summit, the uprooted the streetlights. They thought the
single-arm streetlights, which cost crew were government personnel.
P300,000 each, remain idle. The Office of the Ombudsman-
The fixtures have also been looted by Visayas has ordered the DPWH to look
thieves. Cables and light bulbs were into the vandalism in Punta Engaño.
stolen. Entire posts were uprooted, said The streetlamps were not located
residents. along the summit ceremonial route,
“Until now we are wondering why they opening more questions for the Om-
have not been lighted. We could have budsman-Visayas.
benefited from the government project Associate Graft Investigator Roderick
but we don’t know why they just stood Blazo said DPWH officials were told to
there useless. The government could have explain why these streetlights were in-
used the money to build low-cost hous- stalled for the ASEAN Summit when this
ing for the poor,” said Francisca Yayong, part of Punta Engaño was not part of the ONE of 20 single-arm streetlights in Punta
66, who owns a store along the road. ceremonial route. Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City, looted by thieves.
She and neighbor Teodora Caballero The route included streets in the cities Each unit, installed for the 12th ASEAN
said they saw a group of persons remov- LOOTED 39
Summit last year, costs about P300,000.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

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