Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday filed corruption cases against 20 personnel of the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office and four private contractors at the Office of the Ombudsman.
This is in response to the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to hold accountable those involved in the anomalies in flood control projects in the province of Bulacan, said Dizon.
Dizon went to the Ombudsman to personally lead the submission of important documents to support the filing of cases for violation of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act); Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (Malversation of Public Funds), in relation to Articles 171 of the Revised Penal Code; Republic Act No. 9184; and other related laws.
“This is what our President said. Over and over again, starting from his SONA, to his numerous inspections on the ground. Everyone who needs to be held accountable should be held accountable. Even if they are his acquaintances, his friends, his allies, everyone should be held accountable. This is just the beginning while the Independent Commission that our President is yet to establish does not exist,” Dizon said.
Dizon filed the cases against personnel of Bulacan 1st District Engineering office including former district engineer Henry Alcantara; former assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez; construction section chief Jaypee Mendoza and John Michael Ramos; planning and design section chief Ernesto Galang; officer-in-charge maintenance section chief Lorenzo Pagtalunan and Jaime Hernandez; quality assurance section chief Norberto Santos; administrative section chief Floralyn Simbulan; finance section chief Juanito Mendoza; budget unit head Roberto Roque; procurement unit head Benedict Matawaran; cashier Christina Mae Pineda; project engineers Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Jaron Laus, Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Benex Francisco; and Jolo Mari Tayao.
The contractors who were charged with related violations of the law are Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading; Mark Allan Arevalo of Wawao Builders; Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando with beneficial owner Cezarah Rowena Discaya of St. Timothy Construction Corporation; and Robert Imperio and IM Construction Corporation.
Dizon said the President ordered the expedited search for corrupt DPWH officials so that justice can be served immediately for the suffering of the people related to flood control projects.
Dizon also encouraged the public to report possible anomalous projects or DPWH officials so that they could be held accountable.
“And I am asking for help from the people. Let’s channel our anger to catch them… You are used to that from me, when it used to be, you would send kamote drivers to the streets. Or now, find them, send them to us.,” Dizon said.
“Believe me, we will include them all in these in the next weeks, next months,” he said.
Dizon described the scandal as “massive theft of people’s money,” and said the cases filed are the first of many to come. He said this has been done on a massive scale nationwide.
He said that corruption in the agency would not have thrived without the participation of high-ranking officials. “It’s a chain that goes all the way up,” Dizon said.
“We have to make everyone who is responsible for this accountable,” he said.
Dizon earlier asked the Department of Justice to place Bonoan and other DPWH officials under an immigration lookout as the agency proceeds with its own investigation on non-existent and substandard flood control projects.
Dizon sought the issuance of Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against Bonoan, Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque and other corporate officers of MBB Global Properties Corporation.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson earlier revealed in a privilege speech that Bonoan’s daughter had links to MBB Global.
Lacson had said his office’s research showed that MBB Global is owned by the Maglanque family of Candaba, the same family that owns Globalcrete Builders, which secured P2.195 billion worth of flood control projects in Bulacan from 2018 to 2024.
