The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has appointed new officials to the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, which has been embroiled in corruption issues linked to anomalous flood control projects.
In a special order dated December 15, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon designated Kenneth Edward Fernando as officer-in-charge district engineer. Fernando has been with the DPWH for a decade and is a product of the agency’s cadet engineering program. Paul Lumabas was also appointed as officer-in-charge assistant district engineer.
Dizon said Lumabas previously served as OIC of the planning division and has been assigned to the district for only a month, with prior experience at the DPWH central office’s public-private partnership service.
“Sila ‘yung aasahan natin na fresh blood na mag-te-take over sa 1st district of Bulacan with the hopes of us finding solutions to the problems that we have here,” Dizon said during a visit to the area.
The DPWH chief warned the newly appointed officials against repeating the actions of their predecessors, as the department has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to file criminal and administrative charges against former Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara and Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez over alleged non-existent and substandard flood control projects and kickbacks.
“Huwag kayong gagaya dun sa mga papalitan ninyo. Huwag na, huwag kayong gagaya. Kasi kung gumaya kayo, kung ano mangyayari sa kanila, iyon din ang mangyayari sa inyo. And I don’t think you want that to happen to you or to your families. Let’s do this right,” Dizon said.