The Department of Public Works and Highways issued show-cause orders on Wednesday against 10 employees, ranging from regional directors to district engineers, over allegations of lavish lifestyles, the implementation of substandard projects, and failure to cooperate with an ongoing investigation.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said this complies with President Marcos’s directive to ensure accountability and purge the agency of misfits from top to bottom, with the issuance of show-cause orders as “the first step.”
In a press briefing, Dizon named the regional directors and district engineers (DEs) who were served with the orders. The officials have five days to respond to the allegations.
He added “This process will continue. If they think I won’t take this seriously, this is proof that we mean business—we will spare no one, whether they are an undersecretary, former secretary, assistant secretary, or director. This institution must be fixed,” Dizon said.
Show cause orders have been issued to three officials: NCR Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, Region VII Regional Director Danilo Villa, and Brando Raya, chief of the Right-of-Way and Legal Division of Region VII.
For substandard projects, show cause orders were served to former Mimaropa Regional Director Gerald Pacanan; former Las Piñas-Muntinlupa District Engineer Isabelo Baleros; Pampanga 1st District Engineer Almer Miranda; La Union District Engineer Gil B. Lorenzo; Quezon City 1st District Engineer Arturo L. Gonzales Jr.; and Quezon City 2nd District Engineer Johnny L. Protesta Jr.
Meanwhile, Cordillera Administrative Region Regional Director Khadaffy Tanggol was ordered to explain his alleged failure to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Dizon said administrative charges may be filed depending on the results of the probe, which is part of a wider “top-to-bottom cleansing” ordered by President Marcos.
In addition, Dizon explained the two major things that they need to do in the next few weeks and months. “First, we need to hold accountable those who must be held accountable. This includes cleansing and reorganizing the agency from top to bottom. This won’t be easy, given the number of officials and the DPWH’s workload, and it cannot be done overnight. While we identify those who should be held liable, we must also ensure that the necessary projects continue to move forward. It’s not easy, but we have to act now. Most especially when it comes to accountability within the DPWH.” Dizon said in Filipino language.
“The second major step is to fix the systems and processes within DPWH. We see that the problems are not just with people but also with the system, which, unfortunately, has been embedded in the DPWH for decades. Right now, our focus is on the first step I announced—investigating those in question. Eventually, they will be held accountable.”
