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Newly-appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the courtesy resignation of all officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways
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This follows reports of alleged irregularities and anomalous projects, particularly on flood control, within the agency
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A review will also be conducted to identify which personnel can be assigned to key and sensitive positions
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The revamp is aimed for completion within 30-60 days
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Contractors of ghost and substandard projects will automatically be “blacklisted for life” and will face cases
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A “sweeping revamp” will also be conducted on the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board
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The Department of Trade and Industry said it will thoroughly review the conduct of PCAB’s current board members and officials, and recommend actions, including their potential removal
Newly-appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the courtesy resignation of all officials of the department as the Marcos administration undertakes a review and investigation of alleged irregularities and anomalous projects, particularly on flood control.
The courtesy resignation will cover Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials of from “top to bottom”, including undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, division heads, regional directors, and district engineers nationwide, Dizon said during a Malacañang press briefing on September 1, the same day he officially took oath as the new DPWH chief.
Dizon said this is part of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directives that he will be executing in the next few days to “clean up” DPWH.
Aside from the courtesy resignation, a review will also be conducted to identify which personnel can be assigned to key and sensitive positions.
“Ako po’y naniniwala na maraming mabubuti at magagaling na kawani ang DPWH. Ang utos ng ating Pangulo, hanapin sila at sila ang ilagay sa mga sensitbo at importanteng posisyon,” Dizon said.
(I believe that the DPWH has many good and proficient staff. The President’s order is to look for them and put them in sensitive and important positions.)
He stressed the need for accountability in light of recent reports on so-called “ghost” projects, noting that such anomalies could not have occurred without the involvement of personnel within the department.
The target is to complete the revamp within 30 days to a maximum of 60 days, Dizon added.
Moreover, contractors of ghost and substandard projects will automatically be “blacklisted for life”, and will face charges.
In coordination with the Office of the President and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), a “sweeping revamp” will also be conducted on the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), which some lawmakers earlier flagged over alleged extortion activities and with some contractors still having licenses despite being blacklisted or suspended by DPWH.
Under the law, no contractor shall engage in the business of contracting without first having secured a license to conduct business from PCAB, an attached agency of DTI.
In a separate statement, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, as the chair of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, has announced the conduct of a comprehensive investigation into PCAB following numerous allegations of conflicts of interest, accreditation irregularities, and potential abuses of authority that have called into question the integrity of the Board’s operations.
DTI said it will thoroughly review the conduct of PCAB’s current board members and officials, and recommend actions, including their potential removal, to Marcos.
To support this effort, DTI has formed a fact-finding team to oversee the investigation process, in accordance to due process and applicable law, coordinate with relevant agencies, and recommend systemic reforms to prevent future lapses.
Dizon acknowledged that reforming DPWH will take time and that results may not happen immediately.
“This will take time. Because it has taken decades for this build up like this. But we have to start somewhere,” he noted, adding that there is a need to place long-term structural safety nets so that such anomalies can no longer happen.
In the next few days, he said he will also be meeting with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, local government units of Metro Manila and other key regions, and the private sector.
For guidance, Dizon said he will be consulting with former DPWH secretaries, who he said he personally knows, including Jose De Jesus, Rogelio Singson, and Mark Villar.
Dizon, who was serving as secretary of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) since February, replaced Bonoan, whose resignation effective September 1 was accepted by Marcos on August 31.
Undersecretary for administration, finance, and procurement Giovanni Lopez has been appointed as acting transport secretary.
Marcos in a media interview said he accepted the resignation of Bonoan after the latter took command responsibility “because… all of these problems happened under his watch.”
“So, under the principle of command responsibility, he felt that he should leave his post,” Marcos said.
On the other hand, he said he appointed Dizon to lead DPWH after performing well as transport secretary.
“He’s done a very good job sa DOTr. And I think he’s already set the stage for all of the things that we need to do,” Marcos said, “So, puwede na niyang iwanan.”
(So, he can now leave the DoTr.)
Calls for Bonoan’s resignation had grown recently following the discovery of numerous questionable government-funded flood protection projects. Massive flooding in recent months have put such projects in the spotlight.
In his resignation letter, Bonoan expressed support for Marcos’ call for accountability, transparency, and reform within the DPWH, Malacañang said in a statement.
Dizon has been tasked to conduct a full organizational sweep of DPWH and “ensure that public funds are used solely for infrastructure that truly protects and benefits the Filipino people,” Malacañang said.
To further reinforce accountability, an Independent Commission to Investigate flood control anomalies will be established to conduct a comprehensive review of projects, identify irregularities, and recommend accountability measures to ensure public trust in infrastructure spending.
