Ombudsman suspends 16 DPWH Bulacan execs over flood control mess

Acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas has directed the six-month preventive suspension of 16 personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office amid issues of corruption on flood control projects. 

According to the Office of the Ombudsman, the preventive suspension was effective beginning Thursday, September 18. 

The suspension came after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon filed criminal complaints against several personnel last Monday. 

In a memorandum dated September 19, Dizon ordered the immediate implementation of the Ombudsman decision. 

Among those preventively suspended were the heads and officers-in-charge of the Construction Section, Planning and Design Section, Maintenance Section, Quality Section, Maintenance Section, Administrative Section, Budget Unit, Procurement Unit, cashier, project engineers, and engineer.

Former Bulacan 1st disrict engineer Henry Alcantara, assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, Construction Section chief Jaypee Mendoza, and chief accountant Juanito Mendoza were no longer included in the preventive suspension since they were already dismissed from service.

The DPWH secretary earlier said that the agency is targeting to file at least one corruption case every week as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) intensifies its probe on alleged anomalous flood control projects.

Commission on Audit Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba also endorsed additional fraud audit reports in relation to flood control projects that are located in the municipalities of Plaridel, Pandi, and Bocaue.

The flood control projects, which are in question, were being tagged as ghost or graft-ridden projects, either through the lack of necessary supporting documents, non-existence of any civil works, discrepancy in the pinpointed location and even flawed approved bid plans. 

The said projects have been allocated with a total cost of P389.6 million. 

The Ombudsman said that the suspension order was issued to prevent the concerned personnel concerned from exerting influence over the ongoing investigation. 

This was also done to safeguard public records and ensure that accountability measures can proceed without obstruction. —VAL/AOL, GMA Integrated News