Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday submitted additional evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman against DPWH contractors and district engineers involved in flood control projects.
Dizon also announced the termination of two more Bulacan engineers and recommended filing charges against Project Engineer Paul Duya and Construction Section Chief Jaypee Mendoza.
The contractors flagged by Dizon include the controversial Wawao Builders, Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction, and Syms Construction Trading. The charges stem from Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba’s “fraud audit” findings linking these firms to ghost flood control projects in Bulacan.
Earlier, Dizon had already recommended that former Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara and Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez be charged. He said it is now up to the Ombudsman to determine whether to pursue further investigations into these additional DPWH officials and construction firms or incorporate them into the ongoing Bulacan flood control project anomalies.
Dizon added that he will personally inspect reported anomalous flood projects in Oriental Mindoro. “This will only be the start of my weekly updates to the Ombudsman with new evidences and COA findings against the people involved in ghost projects,” he said.