Dizon confident grafters will face jail by Christmas

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said he is confident that several contractors and public officials could be “spending Christmas in jail” as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) moves to file corruption cases against those behind unfinished or unimplemented projects.

“(I am) very confident (that some will be spending Christmas in jail),” Dizon said in a media briefing on Monday.

“It’s simple — there’s the budget, you were paid in full, but you didn’t do anything. As the district engineering office said, it was paid, but nothing was completed. It’s very clear, and I’m confident these people will go to jail.”

Dizon said the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman have confirmed that several cases are already underway, involving at least 48 individuals from the DPWH alone.

“Of course, there are also contractors, definitely more than 50, maybe around 60 in total. Those cases move quickly,” he added.

Dizon said the DPWH is also studying potential cases against former department officials who allegedly allowed the overpricing of infrastructure projects.

Among those to be charged, he said, are former Congressman Zaldy Co and Congressman Eric Yap of La Union, though no formal cases have been filed yet.

“This Christmas, justice will be served,” Dizon said, emphasizing that the crackdown reflects the government’s resolve to hold erring officials accountable.

He said the DPWH will file one to two cases before the Ombudsman this week, alongside two others to be elevated to the Philippine Competition Commission, including those tied to projects in La Union and Davao Occidental.

Dizon said the agency is tightening internal controls to boost transparency and ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

Elsewhere in government, the Bureau of Customs announced upcoming public auctions, while the Office of the Solicitor General readied its first asset seizure.