00:00Barely two weeks into the job, Public Works and Highways Chief Vince Deason has begun the arduous task of reforming the agency
00:06by weeding out the principal bad actors in his office, cutting links with their cohort contractors
00:11and filing charges against all of them with the Office of the Ombudsman.
00:15The usual suspects, consisting of the dismissed First District Engineer's Office and Bulacan Group of Contractors,
00:21top-build the list that our Bernard Ferrer narrates in this report.
00:27Open and shut case on Marito.
00:30This was how DPWH Secretary Vince Deason described the first batch of criminal complaints
00:35filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against former DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara,
00:42former Assistant District Engineer Bryce Erickson Hernandez,
00:45and Construction Section Chief JP Mendoza of the Bulacan First District Engineering Office,
00:51due to alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Bulacan.
00:55Also included in the complaints are 17 other officials from the Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
01:01Contractors named in the case include Simms Construction Trading,
01:06Wawal Builders, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and IAM Construction Corporation.
01:12Naniniwala kami na madaling i-establish ang probable cause,
01:15at dahil doon mabilis na ma-file,
01:18at mabilis din makakadesisyon ng ating mga korte.
01:22Ganon po kakampante ang ating mga abogado dahil sa klarong-klarong ebidensya na nandito sa complaints na ito.
01:31The charges filed include violation of the Antigraf and Corrupt Practices Act,
01:37Malversation through Falsification,
01:39RA-9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act,
01:42and the RA-12009 or the New Government Procurement Reform Act.
01:47It found guilty the accused may face life imprisonment.
01:51The complaints team from President Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr.'s personal inspection
01:55on August 15, 2025, of infrastructure projects in Bulacan,
02:00following reports of alleged ghost projects submitted through the Sumbong sa Pangulo platform.
02:05Although some contractors are implicating politicians,
02:09Secretary Dyson clarified the matter.
02:11Iiwan na po natin ang mas magawakang investigasyon sa Independent Commission.
02:17Tayo po ay nakafocus sa DPWH at sa mga kontratistang nakipagkontrata sa DPWH.
02:24Once the Independent Commission is established,
02:27the DPWH will serve as a resource agency providing documents and testimonies
02:32needed for a broader investigation.
02:34Secretary Dyson believes that even more prominent personalities may be involved
02:38in the alleged corruption, which is why the DPWH continues to gather additional evidence.
02:44Beyond legal accountability, the DPWH also aims to recover government funds
02:49lost at these ghost projects.
02:51The agency is now closely monitoring the officials linked to the issue
02:55to prevent them from tampering with documents or interfering in the ongoing investigation.
03:02Secretary Dyson also explained that he requested the inclusion
03:05of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan in the immigration lookout bulletin order
03:10after Bonoan's name was mentioned in hearings.
03:14DPWH may also coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Council for further investigation.
03:18As a precautionary measures, the DPWH has temporarily allowed its personnel
03:24not to wear their official uniforms to protect them from possible bullying and harassment.
03:30Bernard Frere from the National TV Network for new and better Philippines.
