Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said he will dissolve the department’s internal probe into anomalous flood control projects to allow the independent commission being formed by the President to take the lead in the investigation.
“I will dissolve the DPWH internal investigation committee,” he said in a television interview.
“I do not believe an agency can investigate its own. That cannot be,” Dizon added.
He said whatever information culled by the DPWH committee will be turned over to the independent commission.
As this developed, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Tuesday expressed his willingness to help or be part of the independent commission.
Magalong, lead convenor of the Mayors for Good Governance movement, said he would accept should President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. invite him to participate, even as he admitted he has not yet received any formal communication about it.
“I’m also just waiting. But I’m pretty sure they are also aware of other credible individuals who can actually be part of the commission,” he said in a television interview.
“I defer to the President… If he wants me to become a member, I’d be very much willing,” added Magalong, a retired police general and former head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
In a separate press statement, Senator Panfilo Lacson said having Magalong in the committee would boost its credibility and effectiveness.
The President, however, declined to confirm if Magalong will be part of the commission that will probe alleged substandard or even “ghost” flood control projects.
“I don’t want to talk about it until it’s finalized. We haven’t finalized the plan yet, but it’s close, very, very soon,” President Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.
The President earlier said the committee would include forensic investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and justices.
Meanwhile, Dizon said he has set a timeline of 60 days to reorganize the DPWH in order to cleanse it of corrupt officials.
“We are giving ourselves 60 days maximum to be able to see how best we can reorganize. And hopefully after 30 to 60 days, we will have an organization that we feel will be ready to take on these challenges and move forward,” he said.
“But it will be a difficult 60 days. I will not sugarcoat it… As any reorganization or any revolution is, it is always difficult. But again, I want to repeat, it is necessary,” he added.
The DPWH chief said reorganizing the department involves the difficult but necessary process of weeding out “bad eggs” among the competent majority.
