DPWH urged to hire third party auditors to check implementation of projects

A third-party private auditing firm should be hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure that government projects, including flood control projects, are implemented well, Suirgao del Sur Rep. and former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Romeo Momo said Wednesday.

Momo said this was the practice when he served as DPWH Usec under then Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson from 2010 to 2016 or the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

“During our time with Secretary Singson, he really changed a lot of policies in implementing a project. We have a Bureau of Quality and Safety under the DPWH, which inspects the projects, but aside from that, we have a third-party auditor who checks on the progress of the project,” Momo said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

“It was removed when we left the agency. That should be brought back,” Momo added.

Momo also recalled how Singson was very stringent with the release of funds to District Engineering Offices (DEO) which only receive P50 million to P100 million per project. He added that Singson was also strict in appointing DPWH personnel.

“If the DEO is efficient, then their ceiling is P100 million. Otherwise, the ceiling is just at P50 million,” Momo said.

“And it really lies on the selection of people who manage the project: the district engineer, regional directors. They need to undergo rigorous examination, and there are a lot of parameters to meet before they are appointed,” Momo added.

Momo also encouraged weekly inspection of government projects, which he said was done during their time in DPWH.

“What is wrong with flood control? There is nothing wrong with flood control because we need flood control projects to be safe from flooding due to frequent typhoons. But if you fail to properly implement the flood control projects, such as those which turned out to be ghosts or substandard, then that becomes wrong,” Momo added.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has been established by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., amid a crackdown on anomalous government flood control projects.

Earlier, dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara admitted that he worked with Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo in giving commissions off billions worth of flood control projects to politicians, including some senators. 

The public officials have since denied such allegations. —VAL, GMA Integrated News