DPWH execs who signed off on 'ghost projects' face automatic dismissal, says Dizon

All Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials who certified the completion of flood control projects that turned out to be non-existent or "ghost" will be immediately dismissed from the agency, Secretary Vince Dizon said on Friday.

Dizon made the statement following the dismissal of former Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, who admitted to issuing a certificate of completion to the P55 million flood control project in Baliwag, Bulacan, which turned out to be non-existent.

He said other officials from the Bulacan first district DPWH Engineering Office, namely Brice Ericson Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, are also about to be dismissed.

"Kung meron tayong makitang ghost project, automatic ‘yun, dismissed lahat ang DE (District Engineer) at lahat ng mga kasama sa district na nag-sign off sa mga ghost projects,” Dizon told reporters.

This developed as the House Committee on Appropriations deferred the deliberation on the DPWH's proposed P880 billion budget for 2026 pending corrections on wrongful entries, such as duplicate budget items, funding for already completed projects, and the absence of funding for multi-year projects.

“Kung anong nangyari kay Alcantara, Mendoza at Hernandez, ganun din ang mangyari sa kanila,” Dizon said.

Dizon said that he would issue a department order to ensure that local government units (LGUs) were consulted when it came to the construction of flood control projects in their respective areas, as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said.

“I will issue a Department Order in response to the President’s call that the LGUs should sign off on the flood control projects,” Dizon said.

“The President said this was the practice when he was still with the local government, and he was surprised it is not the case anymore,” he added. –NB, GMA Integrated News