The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday assured the public that all documents related to the ongoing investigation into flood control project anomalies are safe and secure in the agency’s central office in Manila.
This came after a fire broke out at the DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building in Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon. The BRS is tasked with conducting research, studies, pilot testing, and formulating policies for government infrastructure projects.
In a press conference, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the fire did not affect any records linked to the corruption probe, noting that all flood control documents have been transferred to and are protected at the DPWH Central Office.
“Right now, we have gotten all [documents] from 2022 to 2025, and we are now receiving earlier years. They are now all here in the Central Office, protected,” Dizon said.
“We did not see any critical documents which may be vital in the ongoing investigation. All of them are backed by scanned copies,” he added.
Undersecretary for Convergence Projects and Technical Services Lara Esquibil said the materials affected by the blaze included manuals, field testing reports, procurement reports, and training-related documents specific to the BRS operations. She clarified that the procurement papers belonged only to the bureau’s internal acquisitions.
“Right now, we will take the facts as they are today, but investigations are still ongoing. We’re working with the BFP, and once there is a final report, that’s the time we can rule out anything,” Dizon said.
