ASEANEWS HEADLINE-CORRUPTION | MANILA: Bulacan district engineer dismissed from DPWH
Student organizations and youth groups gather at the head office of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Manila yesterday to denounce corruption in flood control projects./ Edd Gumban
Dizon: DPWH to start dismissal process for Bryce Hernandez, JP Mendoza | ANC
DTI accepts resignation of PCAB exec
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MANILA, Philippines — Disgusted by the apparent ghost flood control project he inspected in Plaridel, Bulacan yesterday, Secretary Vince Dizon of the Department of Public Works and Highways announced that he has ordered the dismissal from service of suspended DPWH regional director Henry Alcantara.
Dizon said two other district engineers in the Bulacan office – Brice Ericson Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza – would also be fired from the DPWH.
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He said appropriate criminal charges, to be recommended by the DPWH legal team, would be filed next week.
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“We will recommend the filing of charges with the ombudsman. Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, I will already begin proceedings of dismissal,” Dizon said.
“We have a due process in doing that. We have to follow it, but we will start that process already and I will not be surprised if they are also dismissed very, very soon,” Dizon said.
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“This is criminal,” Dizon said, betraying his disgust upon seeing the obvious ghost flood control project in Angat River in Barangay Sipat in Plaridel, Bulacan, which had been approved for payment by the DPWH regional and district engineers.
DPWH records showed that the project contractor was Wawao Builders that has a revised contract price of P96,499,992.10. The notice to proceed for the project was dated March 20, 2024, reportedly completed on June 11, 2024 and paid on July 21, 2024.
But upon inspection, Dizon said the construction of the project started only three weeks ago.
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Perpetually blacklisted
“Finally, I will also order the perpetual lifetime blacklisting of Wawao Builders from DPWH, and all their possible affiliates,” Dizon told reporters during his inspection of the dike construction project in Plaridel.
“We know that whoever owns Wawao, they have affiliate companies they also own. (We will blacklist) All of them. If we can find other companies with the same owners, we will ban them too,” he added.
Dizon also announced his intention to also issue an order blacklisting SYMS Construction Trading, the contractor of a flood control project visited by President Marcos late last month which had been confirmed to be non-existent.
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“And then, second, we will also recommend the filing of charges with the Department of Justice against Wawao Builders, and against SYMS,” Dizon said.
Senate subpoenas 5 contractors, 3 engineers
Senate President Francis Escudero has signed subpoenas ad testificandum to compel the attendance of five more flood control contractors and three DPWH officials in next Monday’s Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation.
Those issued subpoenas to appear and testify are:
• Darcy Kimel D.J. Respicio, general manager of Darcy & Anna Builders and Trading
• Sally Santos, owner of SYMS Construction Trading
• Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II, of Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
• Maritoni Melegrito, of Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
• Edgardo Saggum, owner of Eddmari Construction and Trading
• Engr. Jaypee Mendoza, chief of the construction division at the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office
• Engr. Brice Ericson Hernandez, former assistant district engineer in Bulacan
• Engr. Juanito Mendoza, an accountant at the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office
The invited flood control contractors were mentioned by Sen. Panfilo Lacson in his privilege speech as those behind ghost and substandard flood control projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.
Escudero also signed a subpoena for Commission on Audit chair Gamaliel Cordoba to provide the Senate with their fraud audit highlights in its review of the DPWH’s flood control projects.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry has accepted the resignation of Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) executive director Herbert Matienzo and two other board members.
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Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told reporters that Matienzo resigned from his post on Sept. 3, citing personal reasons. She added that PCAB board member Erni Baggao resigned due to personal and health reasons, while board member Arthur Escalante’s term ended this year. Roque said both Baggao and Escalante’s resignations will still have to be accepted by President Marcos.
ILBO issued vs 43 contractors, DPWH officials
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has approved the immigration lookout bulletin orders (ILBO) against 43 contractors and officials of the DPWH linked in the anomalous flood control projects.
This was upon the request of Secretary Dizon and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, chairperson of the Blue Ribbon committee, which is conducting an inquiry on the projects.
Remulla warned the subjects of the ILBO not to leave the country, saying this would raise suspicions that they want to escape.
“That is why there are in the lookout bulletin, they have to a lot to answer for. If they leave the country, it will not be a pleasant experience because it is a government concern,” he said.
Travels through ports and airports included in the ILBO will be monitored by the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Authorities will be alerted if they attempt to leave the country.
An ILBO instructs immigration officers to alert authorities should the subjects attempt to leave the country. It, however, does not prevent them from leaving.
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However, once a preliminary investigation moves forward, prosecutors can request a precautionary hold departure order from a court, which would prevent individuals from leaving the country.
Remulla also said that he will mobilize the National Bureau of Investigation to form a special team to investigate the alleged “ghost projects.”
NBI checking projects
Meanwhile, resigned National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago has ordered the agency’s regional directors to investigate flood control projects in provinces visited by President Marcos.
Santiago said he instructed Deputy Director Antonio Pagatpat to issue directives to regional offices to immediately start their inquiries in areas the President had inspected.
“I have already directed my deputy director to issue an order to the regional directors in those areas to begin, even without a formal order, so that whenever we are asked, we are ready to answer. That is how thorough the NBI is,” Santiago said, stressing that the NBI would remain impartial in its probe. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Mark Ernest Villeza, Daphne Galvez, Louella Desiderio
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