Sotto: Scrap DPWH district offices to curb political meddling

District engineering offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should be abolished under any restructuring plan and replaced with larger regional units to curb political interference in infrastructure projects, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday.

- By NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

According to the Senate chief, district offices have long enabled lawmakers to exert undue influence over public works allocations.

In contrast, he argued that regional offices would establish clearer lines of accountability to Malacañang and the DPWH secretary.

“The offices are larger, so they cannot be easily controlled by local officials or congressmen. If it’s a district office, the district congressman has a say. But if it’s regional, they will have to answer to higher authorities,” Sotto told radio dwIZ in Filipino amid intensifying calls to dismantle the DPWH altogether.

The Senate leader, however, stressed that any restructuring of the agency must be carefully studied, particularly on whether it would require legislation or could be implemented through an executive order.

“The Executive can do that... I will have to look into whether there’s a constitutional provision on its creation, but if not, then the Executive can really act on it,” he said.