2 DPWH execs sacked over fatal open drain accident

MANILA, Philippines —  Department of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the immediate relief of the top two officials of the DPWH Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office, following an accident wherein a man died after falling into an open and flooded drainage trench along an active project site in Angeles City.

Relieved from their posts were OIC-District Engineer Aser Mallari and OIC-Assistant District Engineer Agustin Dagsaan Jr.

In a memorandum, Dizon cited the two for severe safety negligence and non-compliance with basic road safety protocols at the DPWH project site along Fil-Am Friendship Highway in Angeles.

“In view of your failure to comply with the required safety standards, among other infractions, you are hereby relieved of your duties effective immediately,” Dizon stated in the order.

The sanction stemmed from the fatal accident during flooding along Fil-Am Friendship Highway on Aug. 28. A man was seen on closed-circuit television footage wading in floodwater and then falling into an open, unmarked drainage trench.

His body was later recovered under a bridge in Mansfield Subdivision in Barangay Sto. Domingo.

According to Dizon, the trench lacked proper hazard barricades, warning lights or protective fencing.

Dizon emphasized that the relief order aligns with President Marcos’ directive mandating strict safety enforcement, quality standards and immediate accountability across all DPWH infrastructure projects nationwide.

To ensure that public works operations remain uninterrupted, Mallari and Dagsaan were ordered to complete an immediate inventory of deliverables and execute an official turnover of all pending district office records.