Ombudsman suspends 16 DPWH personnel over flood control mess

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

At the same time, Dizon ordered Tolentino to furnish the respondents copies of the memorandum.  (PNA file photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered the immediate implementation of a six-month preventive suspension without pay imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman against 16 officers and employees of the agency’s Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office involved in anomalous flood control projects.

In a one-page memorandum dated Sept. 18 addressed to DPWH Central Luzon regional director Roseller Tolentino, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the order is pursuant to Section 9 of Administrative Order No. 17, amending Rule III of Administrative Order No. 07 (Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman) and Section 24 of Republic Act 6770, the Ombudsman Act of 1989.

Ordered suspended by the Ombudsman were Construction Section Chief John Michael Ramos, Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang, Maintenance Section OIC Chief Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Quality Section Chief Norberto Santos, Maintenance Section OIC-Chief Jaime Hernandez, Administrative Section Chief Floralyn Simbulan, Budget Unit Head Roberto Roque, Procurement Unit Head Benedict Matawaran, Cashier II Christina Mae Pineda, Project Engineer Paul Jayson Duya, Project Engineer Merg Jaron Laus, Project Engineer Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Project Engineer Arjay Domasig, Project Engineer John Carlo Rivera, Project Engineer John Benex Francisco, and Engineer II Jolo Mari Tayao, all of the DPWH-Bulacan 1ª District Engineering Office.

The memorandum noted that due to the dismissal from the service of respondents Henry Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, and Juanito Mendoza, the imposition of preventive suspension against them is deemed moot.

The suspension stemmed from criminal complaints filed by Dizon on Sept. 15 and the additional fraud audit reports endorsed to the Ombudsman by Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba regarding flood control projects located in the municipalities of Plaridel, Pandi, and Bocaue.

The Ombudsman said these projects with a total cost of PHP389.6 million “are 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.”

At the same time, Dizon ordered Tolentino to furnish the respondents copies of the memorandum.

He also instructed all employees of the department to give their full cooperation to accelerate the ongoing investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) into the anomalous flood control projects.

“To aid the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) in carrying out its mandate to investigate government officials and employees involved in anomalies, irregularities, and misuse of funds in the planning, financing, and implementation of flood control and other infrastructure projects nationwide, all DPWH officials and employees are hereby strictly directed to extend full cooperation to the ICI by providing, without delay, all pertinent and relevant documents, information, and testimonies, as well as cooperating with and assisting in inspections that the ICI may deem necessary for the fulfillment of its mandate,” Dizon said in a separate memorandum also dated Sept. 18.

The ICI was tasked by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to look into irregularities, anomalies, and misuse of funds in public infrastructures such as flood control, hold those involved accountable, and return stolen funds as soon as possible.