New name of DPWH

COMMONSENSE

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Batches of administrative and criminal cases were being filed one after another against errant government engineers found deeply involved in multimillion-peso alleged "ghost" flood control projects. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) acting Secretary Vivencio "Vince" Dizon has so far either sacked or suspended at least 20 or so district and assistant district engineers in Bulacan. More cases of alleged sub-standard flood control projects that were found in Oriental Mindoro will be filed by Dizon this coming Wednesday at the Office of the Ombudsman.

With the imprimatur of no less than President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (PBBM), these graft and malversation charges include unscrupulous private contractors who colluded with these accused DPWH engineers. As the alter ego of the Chief Executive, the DPWH secretary instituted summary dismissal proceedings against Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and subsequently his two deputies Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza.

The three were dismissed right away from the service without prejudice to the separate graft and corruption cases filed against them at the ombudsman, with the DPWH as the principal complainants. These accused public officials were all held accountable for the scandalous deals they entered into with some of the 15 biggest contractors that allegedly cornered the P545 billion worth of flood control projects in the 2025 DPWH budget. Dizon initiated these administrative and legal actions barely a week after he assumed office and took over from former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan.