New chief Dizon seeks courtesy resignation of officials nationwide
PUBLIC Works Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon yesterday said he will order the courtesy resignation of department officials nationwide as part of efforts to make a “clean sweep” and restore public trust in the agency amid allegations of massive irregularities and corruption involving flood control projects.
He said the instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are clear — to “clean up the DPWH.”
“My first order is to is to order courtesy resignations top to bottom: undersecretary, assistant secretary, division head, regional director, up to district engineer nationwide,” he said in Filipino at a briefing in Malacañang hours after he took his oath as head of the Department of Public Works and Highways before the President.
Dizon said he intends to complete the “top to bottom” review of the performance of DPWH officials, and make changes if any, within 30 to 60 days.
Dizon said his main priority at the DPWH is to clean up the agency and restore public trust but this will not be possible overnight.
Dizon also said there are a lot of good and talented people in the agency, and the President wants them assigned to “sensitive and important positions.”
He said he would “slowly” restore trust in the DPWH and ensure that all infrastructure projects that are built by the agency are undertaken with integrity, transparency, and efficiency.
Dizon took his oath yesterday morning along with Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez who succeeded him in the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Dizon replaced Manuel Bonoan who, according to the President, stepped down under the principle of “command responsibility” as the reported irregularities in several flood control projects happened under his watch as DPWH chief.
Marcos, in an ambush interview, said he chose Dizon as he has done a “very good job” at the DOTr and has set in motion things that should be done in the department, which his successor could continue to implement.
“So, he can leave and go to Public Works because he’s also familiar with the workings of the Department of Public Works and Highways,” Marcos said in Filipino.
Dizon, prior to joining the Marcos Cabinet as Transportation secretary, served as Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs, officer-in-charge of the Clark Development Corporation, president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority, and deputy implementer of the National Action Plan against COVID-19 under the Duterte administration.
The President, in a social media post, said Dizon’s mission is to “clean up corruption, end ghost projects, and ensure every peso spent truly protects and serves our people.”
“Bagong Pilipinas means infrastructure that is safe, future-ready and built with integrity. That is what our people deserve, and that is what we will deliver,” he added.
INFRA PROGRAMS
Dizon said he intends to weed out those who are involved in anomalous projects, not just the flood control projects but also the infrastructure programs of the agency.
He said there is a need for accountability in light of the sub-standard, incomplete and “ghost” projects which he said could not implemented without the involvement or negligence of individuals thin the department.
He said the President himself had seen for himself the failed and ghost projects such as those in Bulacan, and was angry and disappointed.
“The order of the President is to look for them (erring DPWH officials), remove them and charge them. That is what we would do in the coming days and weeks,” he said.
‘BLACKLISTED FOR LIFE’
Dizon expressed confidence that legal charges would be filed and someone would be held accountable within Marcos’ term.
He also said any contractor found involved in ghost projects would immediately be “blacklisted for life” apart from the legal charges that would be filed against them.
Dizon also said there would be a “sweeping revamp” at the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB). He said he and Trade y Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque have discussed this with the President.
The PCAB is a government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry and is one of the implementing boards in the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP).
Under the law, contractors, sub-contractors or specialty contractors must first secure a PCAB license to be able to conduct business.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has made public alleged extortion activities in the PCAB where some contractors are forced to pay at least P1 million amid threats of non-renewal of their license, while some contractors pay around P7 million for their first-time accreditation.
The CIAP, in a statement, said its board has approved the engagement of a third-party agency to investigate allegations of anomalies in contractor licensing to reinforce impartiality and transparency in its probe.
It also instructed PCAB to police its ranks, uphold the highest ethical standards among its employees, and conduct a thorough review of its licensing processes and monitoring mechanisms.
CIAP also directed PCAB to investigate its list of the contactors and submit its findings to the CIAP board all findings amid the President’s revelations that 15 contractors cornered most of the flood control projects deals with the government.
It will also summon and investigate EGB Construction Corporation for alleged irregular or unethical practices as the said firm is owned by Erni G. Baggao who is a board member of PCAB and one of 15 contractors identified by the President.
METRO FLOODING
Dizon said another part of his priorities is addressing flooding in parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan and other areas in the country, such as what happened in Quezon City last week.
He said he is consulting in the next few days former Public Works secretaries Jose “Ping” de Jesus, Rogelio “Babes” Singson and now senator Mark Villar. De Jesus served as DPWH secretary under the Corazon Aquino government, Singson under the Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III administration, and Villar, under the Duterte government.
Dizon said there are still a lot of things in the agency that he is not aware of and he would need guidance from the other officials before him. “I will talk to the three of them in the coming days and ask for guidance because I admit I am blind when it comes to this.”
