The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Monday condemned reports that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) personnel allegedly destroyed and tampered with official documents in connection with anomalous flood control projects.
“Such acts constitute not only a blatant obstruction of ongoing investigations but also a direct assault on the public’s right to transparency and accountability,” ICI Chairman retired Justice Andres Reyes said in a statement.
“The deliberate concealment or alteration of records undermines the rule of law and weakens the people’s trust in government institutions tasked to safeguard public resources,” he added.
The commission warned that records relating to public works are public property, meaning attempts to destroy, falsify, or conceal them constitute grave offenses carrying both administrative and criminal liability.
It called on DPWH officials and employees to fully cooperate and preserve the integrity of documents and evidence under their custody.
“The ICI remains steadfast in its mandate to uncover the truth behind anomalous flood control projects and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” Reyes concluded.
The commission did not provide further details on the number of documents allegedly destroyed, only describing it as “widespread.”
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday said he received a report regarding “suspected tampering and maybe even destruction of documents” in the Baguio City District Engineering Office.
“As soon as I received those reports, we acted immediately. So as of today, I’ve already issued a formal charge against Rene Zarate, the district engineer of Baguio City, with an order for preventive suspension of 90 days,” Dizon said.
“I’ve also issued a memo directing all offices in DPWH from the central office, regional office, and district offices to preserve and submit through the ICI all the documents related, not only to flood control, but all infrastructure projects in the past 10 years. And if they don’t obey, what happened to Rene Zarate (criminal and administrative charges) will also happen to them,” he added.
