NEARLY 30 top engineers from the embattled Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-10) in Northern Mindanao, including their entire top echelon, have tendered their courtesy resignations following public outrage over alleged corruption in flood control projects.
The officials, led by Region 10 Director Lilibeth Aparicio and the chiefs of the district engineering offices, submitted their “unqualified courtesy resignations” to Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, according to DPWH-10 information officer Novie Cabrido.
“Until Secretary Dizon takes action, these officials will continue to report for the office and continue their usual work,” Cabrido said.
Public protests, security measures
The resignations follow protest rallies staged by hundreds of students, school officials and clergy from the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro who expressed their disappointment over the alleged corruption of DPWH projects.
At the height of the rallies on September 21, the DPWH strung barbed wire on the gate of its regional office in Barangay Bulua here.
Cabrido said the security measure was implemented upon the advice of the Philippine National Police, who warned that protesters planned to march on and storm the regional office.
However, the alleged threat did not materialize, and the rallies in Cagayan de Oro ended peacefully.
Calls for transparency, investigation
Beverly Selim-Musni, secretary general of the Union of the People’s Lawyers in Mindanao and one of the protest leaders, welcomed the courtesy resignations but called for the officials to make their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) public and subject themselves to lifestyle checks.
Selim-Musni also urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to immediately secure and preserve the contracts, payroll and other documents related to suspected anomalous projects.
“The government should even freeze the assets of these officials,” Selim-Musni said.
'Ghost project' allegations
The Presidential Anti-Corruption Czar, a nongovernment organization, alleged that during a September 18 inspection of a P96.4 million flood mitigation project in Barangay Linabo, Malaybalay, they found it was not completed.
The DPWH Bukidnon 2nd District had reportedly marked the project as completed by the contractor, Ritchie Nathalie Development Corporation.
The NGO suspected the project was a ‘ghost project’ or poorly constructed and called for an investigation and full audit from the DPWH-10 office.
Cabrido refuted the allegation, calling it “untrue and misleading.”
She maintained there was “nothing wrong” with the construction of the flood control project in Barangay Linabo. She said the project, which included a flood mitigation structure, two box culverts and the installation of railings and stairs, was completed on March 5, 2024.
Cabrido added that DPWH-10 has no ‘ghost projects,’ noting that several projects had suffered construction delays only due to road right-of-way issues and inclement weather.
