Enraged Dizon curses eng’r, then apologizes to public

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon blew his top Thursday, reflectin g the anger Filipinos are feeling over the flood control mess, after he found a P96.5‑million flood control project in Davao Occidental began construction only three weeks ago despite having been declared completed and fully paid for in 2022.

Dizon, who inspected the site with Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) special adviser Benjie Magalong, said the project, which official documents indicated was begun in 2021 and was certified completed in 2022, showed no signs of work until this month.

In a recorded clip, Dizon was heard berating the district engineer, “P*t*ngin* mo, bakit ka nagbayad nang di kumpleto (Sonam*b**ch, why did you pay when it was not completed)?”

“Apologies to our countrymen if they heard me curse, but if it were up to me, I’d have that bastard jailed right there and then,” he later added.

Dizon told reporters he confronted the district engineer after local officials and residents told him there had been no construction work from 2021 through 2022. He said the contractor had been paid despite no work having been done.

“I really couldn’t hold myself back. Ghost projects are real. This has been happening in the Department of Public Works and HIghways for a very long time,” he said in a radio interview Friday.

Eng’r tries to worm his way out

Dizon said the district engineer “was practically defending himself, saying he paid because he needed to meet his disbursement rate... that even though he knew the project wasn’t finished, he still paid it in full. Charges will be filed against the district engineer and his entire team.”

“This has been the system in the DPWH for such a long time, and once and for all, we need to clean it up,” he added.

“It is crystal clear that this was a ghost project. He (engineer) should tell the truth now. If there are others involved, he should come clean now. He should tell the truth now,” Dizon stressed.

Dizon identified the contractor as St. Timothy Construction and said he will file charges against the district engineer and others involved in the project. St. Timothy is owned by contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya who are undergoing an investigation in the Senate.

He urged other officials involved in similar “ghost” projects to come forward, warning that he would “wipe out” the district engineers’ positions if necessary.