The four state witnesses who admitted involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control anomalies should help expose the masterminds behind the irregularities, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said.
“The important thing is that there is a process, and we are confident these witnesses were properly vetted by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman,” Dizon said on Saturday, adding “that comes with the expectation that they will help identify the masterminds behind this large-scale theft.”
“Ultimately, we leave this to the justice agencies, and we trust that the vetting was thorough,” the official said in a news conference with Governor Luis Raymond Villafuerte in Pili, Camarines Sur..
Dizon clarified that the four are granted immunity from criminal liability only for cases in which they are able to provide credible evidence for the prosecution.
“This does not mean they are absolved of all charges. The public should understand that being accepted as state witnesses does not automatically shield them from other cases they may still face,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dizon declined to comment on the motive behind the alleged incorrect coordinates earlier presented by former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. regarding flood control projects.
“I do not want to speculate on the motive—whether it was intentional, an honest mistake, or information passed on to Secretary Manny. What is clear is that many of the coordinates given around August 2025 were inaccurate, in the sense that there were no projects in those locations,” he said.
On Friday, Dizon led an inspection of several sections of the Maharlika Highway, also known as the Pan-Philippine Highway, covering Lopez, Calauag, and Tagkawayan towns in Quezon province, as well as Del Gallego and Lupi towns in Camarines Sur.
He said the 3,500-kilometer highway will, for the first time, undergo major rehabilitation since it was constructed in the 1970s under former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
At the same time, Dizon said temporary repairs will be carried out on damaged portions of the highway to ensure smoother traffic flow during the Holy Week in April.
“We will begin temporary road works from February to March to provide safer and smoother travel for motorists expected to use these roads during the Holy Week,” he said.
