Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste is prodding Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon to make public all of his supposed connections to contractors. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives)
00:00As to the potential underlying undercurrent for all this, I've heard talk, including in Congress, that Secretary Dizon and his team have connections with DPWH contractors.
00:19And that certain members of Secretary Dizon's teams are, in fact, contractors.
00:35I am not the authority on this subject, but I think that it would be good to give Secretary Dizon the opportunity to explain.
00:46Of course, everyone knows people.
00:51So to say that Secretary Dizon knows DPWH contractors is not to say that there's anything inappropriate happening.
01:01Now, if he or members of his team have some proven interest in companies with DPWH contracts,
01:09and what I heard is that it's not him who is a contractor, it's a member or members of his team.
01:16Who are contractors, and how exactly I am not the authority.
01:21But I have been told that this is actually known by many in Congress now.
01:27Now, then the question is, if it's true that new appointees in DPWH have interests in companies that do business with DPWH,
01:41are we sure that there will be no conflict of interest in the awarding of contracts under the new leadership at DPWH?
01:56And why, then, has this not been previously disclosed?
02:02Secretary Dizon is very accessible to the media, and I hope, then, that we can ask him to disclose all of his and his team's connections to DPWH contractors,
02:15and if he thinks there are still kickbacks in DPWH, and if he has ever discussed or been offered kickbacks,
02:24and if he could share this so that we can all work together to stop the practice of giving kickbacks.
02:32Again, you can't avoid knowing people, but if these people have contracts with DPWH, and, in fact, will win contracts in the months and years to come in DPWH,
02:47and that there is a reported history of kickbacks being given in DPWH, then I think it deserves more public scrutiny.
02:55Especially because there are plans to decrease the projects being bid in the district engineering offices and move procurement to the regional or even central office.
03:08Could it be that these reforms in DPWH will not actually reduce corruption, but will transfer the benefits of it to another level or another group of parties or contractors?
03:22And again, I don't want to say this too authoritatively, but someone actually just told me before I arrived here now that not only did one person tell me that they heard that members of the team are actually contractors,
03:41that other members of the team have already been meeting with contractors outside of DPWH at may hinihingi na daw.
03:52So, maybe Secretary Dizon can also check with all of his appointees who are the contractors, if any, that they have met since their appointment and what they discussed in those meetings.
04:06It's actually quite tragic because I know that so many people have so much hope for Secretary Dizon's leadership in the DPWH as do I.
04:24And I hope then that he can be transparent on, even if it's not from him, but any attempted offers, any opportunities that he has had to talk with contractors or for his team to, any offers for kickbacks that have been made.
04:41So, again, this is all in the context of there being a history of this also happening in DPWH.
04:49And again, multiple sources telling me and saying that this is known already by many.
04:56And I will say one more thing related to my previous advocacy to lower prices in DPWH.
05:02If Secretary Dizon will lower prices by 25%, I don't even need to ask if he has any interest in DPWH contracts.
05:12Because anyone who will lower prices by 25% is showing that he is against kickbacks.
05:20So, I hope that Secretary Dizon will be a hero and lower prices by 25% and show that he is against kickbacks in DPWH.
05:32So, just to clarify, sir, you're accusing Secretary Dizon na may mga bago siyang in-add na new projects,
05:39ni-replace yung new projects from Bunoan, and Dizon has connections po sa mga contractors.
05:45Kailangan niya i-disclose yung connections na yun.
05:48Sinasabi niyo po na yung members ng team ni Dizon ay mga contractors, yet all of these are hearsay.
05:56Wala po kayong ebidensyang maipresenta sa amin?
05:59Well, first of all, I wouldn't want to say that I'm accusing, but that I am asking him to disclose
06:06and be transparent on whatever connections he or members of his team might have.
06:13Let me first go with what are the facts.
06:15The facts are that first in the Senate budget hearings, it has already been disclosed that there are insertions into the budget
06:25with the involvement of contractors giving consideration.
06:30And in my own personal experience, I have been approached by DPWH officials with lists from contractors
06:40saying they will propose it into the budget, and that came into the budget of DPWH.
06:46And that it has been reported that this is widespread.
06:52Kung meron sa distrito ko, baka mas marami pa sa ibang mga distrito.
06:57So this is the context before Secretary Dizon came into the picture.
07:00And I have great respect for the real improvements that have been done in DPWH since Secretary Dizon came into the picture.
07:09And so I am relaying what I have heard from multiple sources that Secretary Dizon or members of his team have connections with DPWH contractors.
07:26I was told by one source, some in his team are contractors.
07:33And yes, this is just what I was told.
07:36And I was told by another person that others on his team, even those who are not contractors, have been talking to contractors at may hinihingi.
07:44And maybe after I make this statement, some people can actually come out and say,
07:49yes, may hinihingi ang mga opisyalis ng DPWH sa amin.
07:58I say this, of course, sensitively acknowledging that we have to work with the DPWH on the budget and on the projects in our district being implemented well.
08:08And I hope that this does not get taken personally.
08:13And I am not saying this in a political context.
08:16I'm saying this from an intent for there to be reform based on the proposals that I have made for DPWH.
08:23But I would summarize everything that I'm saying by saying that I am asking Secretary Dizon in the interest of transparency to disclose all of his and his team members' connections,
08:35discussions, and interests in contractors and companies that do business with DPWH.
08:42And, of course, have an understanding of this, that I have a couple different things.
08:47I'm trying to emphasize that I am writing for your brother today.
08:51So here to be the man talking to you guys, can I start checking your brother.
08:54And if you are talking about a group of panelists.
08:58So here to be the man talking about a group of panelists and we're talking about how you can actually deal with it.
09:01And we're talking about that.
09:04He's taking the person around and we're talking about a group of panelists,
09:07and we're talking about this with the frontline people.
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