Senator Erwin Tulfo defended Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Tuesday after he was asked whether the official should step aside from the Senate’s probe into alleged ghost flood control projects carried out under his watch.
Tulfo said the investigation should not be dismissed as compromised because the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must still submit its findings to Malacañang.
“Malacañang is also watching over it, and he has to submit a report to the President. Senator Marcoleta also said the committee will send people to join the investigation to make sure nothing irregular happens,” Tulfo assured.
The lawmaker rejected calls for Bonoan to step aside, arguing that the irregularities stemmed from officials below him, such as undersecretaries, regional directors, and district engineers.
Tulfo noted that contractors often collude with local politicians, creating a system where substandard or non-existent projects are covered up by falsified reports.
“The problem is the issue of command responsibility, but he (Bonoan) cannot be in many places at the same time. These ghost projects and substandard projects are happening in different areas, and the ones truly at fault are those on the ground,” he said.
According to Tulfo, Marcoleta has already moved to summon those involved, including repeat violators and blacklisted contractors who continue operating under different names.
He added that without a reshuffle of district engineers, the DPWH will not be able to clean up its operations.
