The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has enlisted the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of National Defense (DND) in verifying alleged irregularities in flood control projects across the country.
In letters dated September 11 and made public on Monday, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon asked DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla and DND Secretary Gibo Teodoro to deploy the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for on-ground inspections.
“Pursuant to the directive of His Excellency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to investigate and hold accountable government personnel involved in alleged anomalies, and in light of the ongoing issues concerning the Department of Public Works and Highways flood control projects nationwide, we deem it imperative to immediately conduct thorough validation on the ground to establish the actual status and integrity of these [flood control] projects,” Dizon wrote.
He stressed that the involvement of police and military personnel “is vital to uphold accountability, restore public trust, and safeguard the interests of our people.”
President Marcos personally inspected flood control projects in Bulacan last August, where he found cases of substandard construction and even non-existent projects.
The Senate and House of Representatives are already conducting their own inquiries, while the President also created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to lead a wider investigation into alleged fund misuse.