Senator Ping Lacson said he will turn over more evidence against “rotten fruits” within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to Secretary Vince Dizon as the purge in the agency continues amid reports of substandard and even “ghost” flood-control projects.
“My office will provide you (Dizon) with damning evidence against some ‘low hanging rotten fruits’ but will instill fear so that others will think twice before following their bad examples,” Lacson said.
As this developed, the camp of former Bulacan First District engineer Henry Alcantara refuted accusations that he is the alleged kingpin of “ghost” flood control projects in the province.
In a statement on behalf of Alcantara, law firm Flaminiano Arroyo & Dueñas said: “Engr. Alcantara maintains his innocence: He did not author these alleged ghost projects. Any wrongdoing was done behind his back, without his knowledge, acquiescence, or approval.”
The former DPWH official will challenge accusations, his lawyers said, adding that they will avail all legal remedies before the court to prove his innocence.
His lawyers also assured Alcantara’s commitment to cooperate with authorities and assist in the on-going investigation of the non-existent flood control projects.
For his part, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno urged officials and employees of the DPWH to voluntarily execute waivers of the bank secrecy law amid the ongoing probe on flood control anomalies.
“Perhaps it would be good to consider asking the employees and officials of DPWH to execute waivers of the bank secrecy law,” Diokno told DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon during the agency’s budget deliberation.
While it is not part of the standard operating procedure, Diokno said there is no legal impediment to requesting the waivers.
Diokno also called on Dizon to issue an order securing all government electronic devices, such as computers and mobile phones, that may have been used by those who have been dismissed, retired, or resigned, because those are government property.
