By Brian Campued
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Vince Dizon has ordered the six-month preventive suspension without pay of 16 current officials and employees of DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.
In a memorandum dated Sept. 19, Dizon said the directive is pursuant to the endorsement of the Office of the Ombudsman calling for its “immediate implementation”.
The 16 officials and employees of Bulacan 1st DEO were among the 20 individuals charged by the DPWH in connection with alleged anomalous flood control projects in the province. They are:
- John Michael Ramos, Chief, Construction Section
- Ernesto Galang, Chief, Planning and Design Section
- Lorenzo Pagtalunan, OIC-Chief, Maintenance Section
- Norberto Santos, Quality Section
- Jaime Hernandez, OIC-Chief, Maintenance Section
- Floralyn Simbulan, Chief, Administrative Section
- Roberto Roque, Head, Budget Unit
- Benedict Matawaran, Head, Procurement Unit
- Christina Mae Pineda, Cashier II
- Paul Jayson Duya, Project Engineer
- Merg Jaron Laus, Project Engineer
- Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Project Engineer
- Arjay Domasig, Project Engineer
- John Carlo Rivera, Project Engineer
- John Benex Francisco, Project Engineer
- Jolo Mari Tayao, Engineer II
Meanwhile, the DPWH and the Commission on Audit (COA) on Thursday submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman another batch of evidence related to ghost and substandard projects in Bulacan.
COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba said the fraud audit report is pursuant to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to probe into the alleged irregularities in flood control works.
According to the referral, former district engineer Henry Alcantara, Galang, and Mark Allan Arevalo of Wawao Builders are liable for the ghost project in Barangay Sipat, Plaridel, Bulacan.
Also found liable for a ghost project in Barangay Bunsuran (Purok 4), Pandi, Bulacan are Alcantara, former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, Tayao, Roque, Ramos, Galang, and TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc./One Frame Construction Inc. Managing Officer Gian Carlo Galang, including officials and members of the board of contractors.
“Nakakagalit, ngayong lang ako nakakita ng ganito. Talagang kawalang-hiyaan na ito. Umabot na sa punto na akala nila untouchable sila, na hindi sila mahuhuli, na hindi sila mananagot,” Dizon said.
“Sabi naman namin sa inyo, wala kaming tigil dito pero sa ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure) na kami makikipagtulungan in the coming days and weeks,” he added.
-jpv
