METROPOLITAN Cebu Water District (MCWD) Chairman Jose “Joey” Daluz III has belied the accusations of Benito Aratea, a quarry operator, that he allegedly received under-the-table payments for a diversion road project from Barangay Pardo to Barangay Toong in Cebu City.
“Never. We never discussed that. We only said that you take care of the lot owners because they were already complaining that you made a quarry there,” Daluz said in a mix of Cebuano and English when interviewed by Cebu City Hall reporters on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
Daluz is one of several Cebu City government officials publicly accused by Aratea, during the Council’s regular session last Wednesday, Oct. 13, of allegedly receiving payments of P100,000 to P200,000 so that he can be allowed to conduct work on the road and secure a waste disposal permit for the road construction.
Aratea appeared before the Council on Oct. 13, 2021 upon the invitation of Councilor Nestor Archival, a member of the local political party Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
Aratea earlier wrote to the Council to explain the circumstances behind the stoppage of construction of the road opening in the said area.
Other officials
Aside from Daluz, Aratea also accused the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas Jr., former City legal officer Rey Gealon, and Jaypee Labella, son of Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella of receiving under-the-table payments.
Both Casas and Gealon issued statements to the press denying the allegations.
On the last week of August, Cenro issued a cease and desist order against the road opening after the owners of the adjacent lands complained that the operation already resembled a quarry operation with the size of the area torn from the mountain.
Daluz said Aratea asked him for help on the project saying he would open the road at no cost to the City.
“He told us that since the City has plans to open a road, he will open it at no cost to the City. While we already have a P150 million budget for the opening of the road, we were happy that he would be the one to bulldoze and the P150 million will be used for the cement, road concreting, drainage, and everything,” Daluz said.
He said Aratea was advised to get a permit and talk to the property owners.
Contrary to what Aratea had claimed, Daluz also denied that he has property in the area.
Daluz said he just has a client who owns property there who was happy with the supposed road project.
“What happened was the property owners complained because he (Aratea) did not make a road; instead he was already quarrying the area and that is why he was ordered to stop. That’s the story,” Daluz said.
Daluz added he will wait for Aratea to file a formal complaint so he can address the matter in the proper forum.
He said they will study the possibility of filing libel charges against Aratea.