Dizon to abolish DPWH anti-graft body probing projects

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways will no longer probe itself on the anomalies surrounding flood control projects as newly installed DPWH chief Vivencio Dizon will abolish its internal investigating team to give way to an independent body being formed by President Marcos.

The agency, under its former secretary Manuel Bonoan, had formed an anti-corruption task force to allow the public to report irregularities and corrupt personnel as it was facing a barrage of criticism over subpar and ghost flood mitigation projects.

Days after the task force was formed, Malacañang announced that Bonoan had resigned and would be replaced by Dizon, then the transportation secretary.

Speaking to reporters in Subic yesterday, Dizon said the DPWH should not probe itself, noting that Marcos is already creating an independent panel that would look into the anomalous projects.

“With all due respect to the officials who formed the task force, I don’t believe an organization can investigate itself. It doesn’t seem right,” Dizon said.

“For me, the President has spoken. He will create an independent commission. Let us give the independent commission the responsibility and authority to
investigate,” he added.

The independent commission, which will be created through an executive order, will investigate claims about project irregularities and come up with recommendations on what to do with parties found to be involved in corrupt practices.

Dizon pointed out that when the DPWH internal investigation committee was created, Marcos had yet to announce his intention to form an independent body.

“Now that (an announcement has been made), let us respect the wisdom of the President. So I will abolish it,” he added.

Bonoan previously authorized the task force to issue subpoena duces tecum and subpoena ad testificandum “as necessary.”

The former DPWH chief also ordered the creation of a technical working group and secretariat to support the task force in its mandate.

Aside from these, the task force was also given the authority to travel and inspect project sites and to obtain records and information from any office of the DPWH in pursuit of its investigation activities.

Dizon said the findings of the internal task force will be given to the independent commission, noting that he and his team will gather information within the department and relay them to the external body.

Magalong part of commission?

In a related development, Marcos declined to comment on reports that Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who had claimed that at least 67 lawmakers are using contractors as “fronts” for flood control projects, would be part of the independent commission.

“I don’t want to talk about it until it is completed. We have not completed the plan, but we’ll talk about this soon. Very, very soon,” the President said in a chance interview yesterday in Subic.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro previously said Marcos is open to talking to Magalong about the schemes being employed by corrupt officials and project contractors.

Meanwhile, Dizon said he has not heard anything about Magalong joining the independent body.

“Personally, it will be a welcome development if that is true. You know, Mayor Magalong is at the forefront, not just now. He and other officials have been speaking about it for a long time,” the public works chief said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for his part, may have preempted the President’s announcement, lauding Marcos for including Magalong in the independent commission.

“Good move on the part of the President to create an independent body to investigate. I was informed that Mayor Benjamin Magalong will be part of that body, and that’s even better,” Lacson said.

Lacson said he is willing to help the independent commission in its task to weed out corruption in the DPWH.

“In my capacity and with all the information we have so far gathered, I will extend whatever assistance I can offer, if requested, especially so that the DPWH has a dynamic, progressive-minded and reform-oriented head in the person of Sec. Vince Dizon,” Lacson said.

60 days

At a press conference alongside former DPWH secretary Bonoan at the agency’s central office, Dizon has set a timeline to conduct an internal cleansing of the department.

“Personally, ...we are giving ourselves 60 days, maximum, to be able to see how best we can reorganize and hopefully after 30 to 60 days, we will have an organization that we feel will be ready to take on these challenges,” he said before DPWH ranking officials and officers who welcomed him during the formal turnover ceremonies yesterday afternoon.

“It is a difficult process, but it is a necessary process for us to evolve, to regain the trust of the people.

“It (will be) a very difficult 60 days,” Dizon stressed.

“It is always difficult with every evolution, but as I said, it is very necessary,” he added.

The DPWH chief said the President gave him two explicit orders: “There is a need for an internal cleansing. He believes there is a need to do it now.”

The other directive, he said, which was the most important, was for the “flood control projects that are needed by our countrymen, these ghost and substandard projects, they have to be fixed.”

“Should we just watch TV and witness the suffering of the people affected by the severe floods? So we need to do something,” Dizon said.

“So I call on the members of the agency, let us help the President address these immediate problems. We cannot solve the problems overnight, but we can alleviate them,” he added. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Marc Jayson Cayabyab