Justice Officer-in-Charge Fredderick Vida vowed Monday the Department of Justice (DoJ) will file only “strong cases backed by solid evidence” as it continues its investigation into corruption in government flood control projects.

Speaking after his first flag-raising ceremony as DoJ OIC, Vida said prosecutors are reviewing the testimonies of individuals seeking to be placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

“Some testimonies are still being verified,” he said. “We will only file strong cases backed by solid evidence. We owe it to the public to make sure our cases can withstand scrutiny.”

He said the DoJ is working closely with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit (CoA) to validate reports of funds misuse and irregular procurements tied to infrastructure projects — following the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s discovery of hundreds of “ghost” flood control projects.

Vida said that while the public’s impatience is understandable, rushing cases could weaken the government’s hand in court.

“When we rush, we risk forgetting the rights of others,” he said. “We need to be careful with every step we take.”

The DoJ, he added, is determined to strengthen accountability within the justice system while upholding due process and transparency.

“Our guiding principle is truth and adherence to the rule of law,” he said. “We are not here to persecute anyone — we are here to uphold justice.”

He assured that witnesses will be fully protected, rejecting suggestions to livestream witness interviews.

“Not everything a witness says is necessarily true; we have to verify and protect them,” he explained. “Our enemies are those who have corrupted the system — and they are watching, too.”

Vida ended his remarks with an appeal for public trust as the DoJ, Ombudsman, and CoA move to tighten their coordination on the corruption cases.

“There are many honest people in government,” he said. “We only ask that you keep a little faith in us — faith in justice and faith in your Department of Justice.”