Dizon relieves, reassigns 6 DPWH personnel over Davao flood control anomalies

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the relief and reassignment of six Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and engineers following the filing of criminal complaints involving allegedly anomalous flood control projects in Davao City.

In separate memoranda issued Wednesday, 21 October, Dizon relieved DPWH Region V Officer-in-Charge Assistant Regional Director Ferdinand Dallo and three officials of the Davao City First District Engineering Office.

The Davao officials were Officer-in-Charge District Engineer Emilio Sucaldito Jr., Quality Assurance Section Chief Kim Anthony Duque and Financial Management Section Chief Kristine Apao.

Dizon directed the four officials to turn over all official records, documents and government property under their custody to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of public services.

He also ordered the reassignment of Engineer II Aljun Barcoma and Engineer II Alexander Omadley, both assigned to the Davao City First District Engineering Office.

The two engineers were instructed to report to DPWH Region XI Director Juby Cordon for new assignments.

The personnel actions followed criminal complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week.

According to Dizon, the complaints involve alleged falsification by public officers under the Revised Penal Code and violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The cases stemmed from an NBI investigation into suspected irregularities in flood control projects in Davao City.

Due to their alleged involvement in the same cases, the secretary relieved last Monday, October 19, DPWH Region IV-B Assistant Regional Director Richard Ragasa who was previously assigned as district engineer of DPWH Davao City, and Davao City 1st District Engineering Office’s Assistant District Engineer Lilibeth Sarmiento and Construction Section Chief Roberto Mamaril.

Aside from DPWH personnel, the NBI named several contractors and company representatives as respondents.

They include Genesis88 Construction Inc. owner Glenn Escandor, authorized managing officer Saturnino Bentulan, project engineer Benjamin Zosa, materials engineer Faye Ramirez and foremen George Servano and Roy Bohol.

Also named were Agong Builders and Construction Supply Inc. owners Merlita Amplayo and Raymarc Kim Amplayo, along with project engineer Christian Rey Balingit.