Malacañang is seriously considering transferring a top-performing Cabinet secretary — known for an unassailable track record and transformative leadership — to lead the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is currently engulfed in corruption scandals.

Insiders say the secretary’s proven ability to clean up his current department makes him the ideal candidate to fix the graft-ridden DPWH, especially amid mounting exposés on questionable flood control projects worth billions.

However, a well-placed source told DAILY TRIBUNE that a demolition job is underway behind the scenes to block the transfer. A certain undersecretary, backed by a powerful faction, is reportedly working hard to prevent the reformist secretary from taking over — fearing that his appointment would expose and dismantle entrenched corruption benefiting a select few.

The DPWH has been under intense scrutiny following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s revelation that 15 contractors are linked to suspicious flood control deals. Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito confirmed the involvement of some DPWH officials, even pointing to “ghost projects.”

“There is collusion between the (DPWH) district offices and the contractors… It’s fine for contractors to earn money, but making ghost projects — that’s just shameless,” Ejercito said during a Senate forum.

Though no formal announcement has been made, placing a clean, reform-minded Cabinet official at the helm of DPWH is gaining traction among advocates eager to finally end the cycle of corruption that has long plagued the department.