Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said there will be a “cleansing” within the department to remove and prosecute erring officials involved in botched, substandard, or even “ghost” flood-control projects across the country.
“If found to be involved in the irregularities, we will sanction them and file appropriate charges,” he said. “We will look into the personalities involved in the inferior and ghost projects.”
“I think we’ll have to file all the necessary cases and sanctions and let this be a lesson to everybody that we will not allow this kind of thing to happen.”
“I think we have to cleanse up the organization if needed,” he said.
At least 10 officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways 1st District Engineering office in Bulacan, including their head, Henry Alcantara, have been relieved from their posts amid the ongoing probe into questionable flood-control infrastructure projects.
Bonoan, who himself is in hot water after several lawmakers demanded his resignation over the botched projects, said Alcantara was placed under floating status.
Before questions on the flood control projects arose, Alcantara was recommended for promotion as assistant regional director of DPWH Region 4-A (Calabarzon).
“I have to recall his assignment and put him on a floating status for the time being,” Bonoan said.
Aside from Alcantara, Bonoan said among those who were relieved was newly appointed 1st district engineer Brice Hernandez.
“They will be charged. We are in the process of collecting the required documents. Just two days ago, I sent out a memorandum asking them to explain their actions. I have given them three days to respond, and if their explanation is not satisfactory, we will move forward with filing the necessary charges,” the DPWH chief added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday blew his top over a P55.7-million flood control project in Baliuag, Bulacan that he described as a “ghost project,” noting that the government had fully paid for the contract even though not a single meter of work was built.
Last week, the President also saw for himself a questionable river protection project in Calumpit, Bulacan, which had been declared finished in official records but was still visibly incomplete.
The river protection structure was built by St. Timothy Construction Corporation, while the flood mitigation structure was constructed by Wawao Builders. The two firms are among the top 15 contractors that secured most of the flood control projects nationwide.
