DPWH engineer in flood control scandal nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested yesterday one of the 18 suspects facing arrest warrants over an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Dennis Abagon, engineer at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa office, was nabbed at his house in Quezon City.

Authorities served his warrant on Saturday at his listed address in Cavite, but Abagon was not there.

The Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrants on Friday against Abagon, resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co, officials from the DPWH Mimaropa office and board members of contracting firm Sunwest Corp. for graft and malversation of public funds.

The case stemmed from a P289.5-million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Abagon holds three ranking positions at the regional office: officer-in-charge of the Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division and Planning and Design Division, and a regular member of the bids and awards committee.

The engineer, who allegedly was about to surrender but still waited for his lawyers’ advice, is maintaining his innocence of the charges against him.

Abagon, who has been at the DPWH for 33 years, said he has no communication with other high-ranking officials at the office.

He said he has “no problem” signing a waiver to open his bank accounts.

Two other people who were inside the residence with Abagon will face charges of obstruction of justice, the bureau said.

The NBI said the residence, with its windows covered with calendar pages, is allegedly owned by a politician. It is unclear if the bureau has any information about the owner’s identity.

Operatives used a battering ram to enter the residence and caught Abagon with his clothes packed, indicating that he might be preparing to flee elsewhere.

Burner phones with newly purchased SIM cards were also confiscated.

Raymond Tansip, one of Abagon’s lawyers, said his client is already under the custody of the NBI-Technical Intelligence Division in its headquarters in Pasay.

“He’s OK,” Tansip said when asked about the engineer’s condition. “He’s just diabetic, so I brought him some food.”

Abagon, who is already in his 50s, underwent a medical examination and a booking process before being surrendered to the Sandiganbayan.

According to the referral made by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, which became the basis for the case, Abagon and other officials allegedly “certified works relating to the project in accordance with plans and specifications when, in truth and in fact, they were not.”

Punish flood scammers

Meanwhile, a week before the second Trillion Peso March on Nov. 30, bishops have become more vocal in their call against corruption in the country, and demanded imprisonment against those who illegally benefitted from the flood control projects.

According to CBCPNews, Imus, Cavite Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista reportedly issued this statement in Filipino during his homily in the mass at a prayer rally held last Saturday: “With the anomalies happening in our country, we must keep watch over all of them. If someone needs to be jailed, then they should be jailed.”

The people, Evangelista said, should closely monitor the anomalies in their areas and demand accountability from those responsible for these illegal activities.

At the gathering, the people in unison prayed for “good governance, transparency and accountability,” values which the prelate said have been weakened by officials seeking personal gain.

More than 10,000 Catholics from various Imus parishes gathered at the City of Dasmariñas Grandstand on Nov. 22 for the diocesan celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas yesterday issued a message expressing their archdiocese’s clear spiritual unity with every Filipino demanding imprisonment for the corrupt.

Villegas also called for the end of the culture of corruption, killings and lies and misinformation that are being spread through social media.

“We are currently facing a telenovela of revelations on the trillions of pesos of the people’s money being lost to corruption – funds that are badly needed for health, education and programs that would genuinely ease the people’s suffering,” he said.

There are also some dioceses planning their own Second Trillion Peso March.

On Nov. 29, the Archdiocese of Caceres in Naga, Camarines Sur will hold a protest rally at 1 p.m. to be followed by a prayer rally and program at 3 p.m. at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

Participants are encouraged to wear white or a white ribbon as a symbol of purity of intention and unity against corruption.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting also called on its members to join the second Trillion Peso March scheduled on Nov. 30 at the People Power Monument along EDSA, Quezon City.

Retired general named DPWH asec in Luzon

Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has named retired Maj. Gen. Rommel Tello of the Philippine Army as assistant secretary for regional operations in Luzon.

Tello, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1990, will be directly working under retired police general Arthur Bisnar, who is DPWH undersecretary for regional operations in Luzon.

Prior to his new post, Tello was director at the Office of Transportation Security since June 5. Bisnar had also served a stint as OTS administrator, also under Dizon who appointed them to the posts when he was transportation secretary.

Aside from Tello, Dizon previously brought two outside hires to serve as assistant secretaries – Michelle De Vera, assistant secretary for stakeholder relations service and communications; and Suzanne Marie Liwanag, assistant secretary for the Office of the Secretary and the Information Management Service – both coming from the Department of Transportation.

Dizon retained four assistant secretaries upon his arrival at the agency – Nerie Bueno, Michael Villafranca, Medmier Malig and Alex Bote.

Likewise, Dizon named five new DPWH undersecretaries and retained Emil Sadain as senior undersecretary and Ador Canlas as undersecretary for regional operations in Visayas and Mindanao.

Dizon, upon assumption of his post as DPWH chief, vowed to cleanse the agency top to bottom pursuant to President Marcos’ directive.

In another development, Dizon has issued guidelines on the agency’s conduct of road reblocking projects in field offices, especially its 150 district engineering offices all over the country in order to eradicate graft.

In an order issued last Nov. 20, Dizon established uniform guidelines in identifying, validating and funding reblocking projects nationwide.

The issuance standardizes how DPWH field offices classify defective concrete road sections and determines which areas qualify for reblocking, based strictly on verified field data and technical evidence. — Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda