Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has immediately relieved two top officials of the Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office following a fatal road safety oversight in Angeles City.
The Sunday night directive removed Officer-in-Charge District Engineer Aser Mallari and OIC Assistant District Engineer Augustin Dagsaan Jr. from their positions following the death of Reiner Novero, who drowned after falling into an exposed, flooded drainage pit along Fil-Am Friendship Highway in Barangay Cutcut on August 28. Video footage of the incident widely circulated on social media.
”In view of your failure to comply with the required safety standards, among other infractions, you are hereby relieved of your duties as Officers-in-charge, Office of the District Engineer and Office of the Assistant District Engineer, Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office,” Dizon said in the memo.
The key directives issued under the administrative order include:
- Immediate Relief: Both officials are stripped of their managerial roles effective immediately.
- Turnover of Duties: Mallari and Dagsaan must complete an immediate inventory, finalize outstanding documentation, and surrender all official records to prevent operational disruptions.