Dizon: No one spared in ‘floodgate’ probe

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon reaffirmed that everyone involved in the anomalous flood control projects will be held accountable, echoing directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In an interview Friday, he said, “Wala po tayong sisinuhin dito… kahit sino pa yan, top to bottom” (We are not picking favorites here… whoever it is, from top to bottom).

During a recent visit to San Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, with Interior Secretary Benjie Magalong, Dizon said seeing a “ghost” flood control project from 2021 made him swear.

“E talagang napamura na ko” (I ended up swearing), he said, referring to a discussion with the district engineer, who tried to justify the abandoned project.

“It’s like he was defending himself, saying he paid because he needed to meet his disbursement rate… even though he knew it wasn’t finished, he paid it in full,” Dizon added.

He said the conversation angered him, prompting him and Magalong to confront the engineer and demand an immediate confession, even mentioning people “like Henry Alcantara who made them a couple of months before coming out.”

Dizon reiterated that ghost projects have been a systemic problem in the DPWH for a long time and must be cleaned up. “It’s very clear, it is a ghost project,” he said.

On the same day, the DOJ confirmed that the National Bureau of Investigation has recommended prosecuting 21 individuals linked to anomalous flood control projects. Those named include:

• Congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co

• Senator Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero

• Engineer Brice Ericson D. Hernandez

• Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo

• Senator Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva

• Senator Jose “Jingoy Estrada” Pimentel Ejercito Jr.

• Alias “Beng Ramos”

• Alias “Mina”

• Undersecretary Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Lim Cajayon-Uy

• Maynard S. Ngu

• Former Senator Ramon Bautista “Bong” Revilla Jr.

• Carleen Y. Villa

• Engineer Henry C. Alcantara

• John Carlo Rivera

• Linda “Victoria” Macanas

• Juanito Mendoza, CPA

• Sally Nicolas Santos

• Jesse Mahusay; alias “Andrei Balatbat”

• Engineer Jaypee D. Mendoza

• Engineer Arjay D. Domasig

The DOJ said the names were based on sworn testimonies of key witnesses Alcantara, Hernandez, Mendoza, and Bernardo.

“The DOJ will not blink. We will see this through to its rightful conclusion,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.