Singson confirms receiving feelers from Palace to return as DPWH chief

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Rogelio Singson on Thursday said he has received feelers from Malacañang offering him to return as the agency's secretary.

"Yes," Singson told GMA News Online in a message when asked if he indeed received the offer for the DPWH leadership.

"Hintayin na lang po natin kung anuman ang desisyon ng Pangulo," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters as she was asked for confirmation. 

In an earlier statement, Singson said he has turned down the offer. 

"But I declined for the sake of my family, personal, and for security reasons," he added.

Singson served as the DPWH chief from July 2010 to June 2016 under the administration of the late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Incumbent DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Wednesday said he would leave the decision to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. if he needs to take a leave amid the probe into the alleged corruption in flood control projects.

"I think ang delicadeza naman po dito is actually hindi lang naman po flood control project ang aking sinusulong dito sa DPWH. Napakarami po yung other big projects that would warrant my kuwan po ngayon dito. As I said, I leave it to the President po kung anong desisyon po nila," Bonoan told GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita in an interview.

(I think the decency here is that I am not only pushing for flood control projects here at the DPWH. There are so many other big projects that would warrant my attention here. As I said, I leave it to the President.)

Delicadeza

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Thursday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Bonaon should voluntarily leave his post as DPWH chief "out of delicadeza."

"Para makita talaga kung ano ang tunay na nangyayari sa loob at sino ang mga sangkot dito dahil nga hindi lang naman ito nangyari ngayon," he said. 

(This is so we can really see what's really going on inside and identify who's involved because this didn't just happen now.) 

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, meanwhile, said "heads must roll" amid the Senate blue ribbon committee's investigation into anomalous flood control projects.

Estrada floated the possibility that Bonoan might not have any idea of what's really happening on the ground.

"So, hindi naman niya mamomonitor 'yan eh. Kaya lang, ang problema niya, command responsibility. That is his responsibility as Secretary of the department," he added. 

(Maybe he wasn't able to monitor the grounds. The problem is, he has a command responsibility. That is his responsibility as Secretary of the department.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News