Jamaine Punzalan

Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson at the Senate inquiry on DPWH projects, December 11, 2017. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175574606516120171211-senate-dpwh-hearing--1-JC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson at the Senate inquiry on DPWH projects, December 11, 2017. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson on Thursday confirmed receiving informal offers from Malacañang to serve as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s next DPWH chief as the agency faced scrutiny over substandard flood control projects.</p><p>Singson said he had been meeting with Marcos to discuss the administration’s Integrated Water Resources Management Program, but the former DPWH chief clarified that he had communicated that returning to the helm of a government agency would not sit well with his wife.</p><p>“Definitely, may feelers. The President and I go a long way when he was still a governor and then he became a senator,” Singson told ANC’s Headstart.</p><p>“We’ve known each other in quite a lot of projects so hindi naman stranger. I’m not stranger to the President,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/palace-aquino-admin-flood-control-plan-not-turned-over-to-current-dpwh-execs-1336">Palace: Aquino admin flood control plan not turned over to current DPWH execs</a></div><p>When prodded if he accepted the offer to return to government service as DPWH chief, Singson said: “I think that will be farfetched because my wife will leave me already if I go back to government.”</p><p>Last week, Palace officials said that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/12/dpwh-chief-keeps-marcos-trust-amid-flood-control-review-palace-1309">DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan still enjoyed the trust of the President </a>despite findings that a huge chunk of the country’s P545-billion worth of flood control projects was distributed to only 15 contractors.</p><div><a href="https://abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/19/senate-blue-ribbon-subpoenas-contractors-absent-from-flood-control-probe-1349">Senate Blue Ribbon subpoenas contractors absent from flood control probe</a></div><p>But Senate investigations and Marcos Jr.’s on-site inspections this week showed that several anomalies were committed in the awarding, building and auditing of numerous anti-flood projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/17/firm-with-p250k-paid-up-capital-among-biggest-contractors-for-flood-control-projects-docs-1537">Firm with P250K paid-up capital among biggest contractors for flood-control projects: docs</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/marcos-inspects-flood-control-project-in-bulacan-as-probe-intensifies-0913">Marcos &#x27;very angry&#x27; over P55-M &#x27;ghost&#x27; riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan</a></div><p>Malacañang has yet to comment on reports that the President was already finding a replacement for Bonoan.</p><p>While Singson rejected offers to replace Bonoan, the former DPWH Secretary said that he was open to lead an independent panel that would investigate anomalies surrounding the government’s flood control projects.</p><p>“Of course. I’ve volunteered pro bono,” he said.</p><p>“All of these suggestions, I’ve come out openly about this corruption program only because I have the full backing of the Management Association of the Philippines, private sector executives who say enough is enough,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/17/coa-orders-fraud-audit-on-flood-control-projects-in-bulacan-1551">COA orders fraud audit on flood control projects in Bulacan</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/coa-commissioner-s-contractor-wife-gets-nearly-p200-m-in-dpwh-flood-control-projects-gov-t-data-1648">COA commissioner’s contractor-wife gets nearly P200-M in DPWH flood control projects: gov’t data</a></div><p>Singson served as the DPWH Secretary from 2010 to 2016 during the term of then President Benigno Aquino III.</p><p>After his stint in government, Singson returned to the private sector where he occupied executive positions in various companies. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/19/dpwh-chief-admits-existence-of-ghost-flood-control-projects-vows-probe-1233">DPWH chief admits existence of &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control projects, vows probe</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7XG9L8MaaSM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><iframe width="1250" height="703" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I8Npa1ZH9oc" title="Marcos &#x27;sobrang galit&#x27; sa nadiskubreng P55M ghost flood control project sa Baliuag, Bulacan" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/boNENcPBd_M" title="Marcoleta napikon sa mga sagot ng may-ari ng QM Builders sa flood control hearing | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson confirmed receiving informal offers from Malacañang to serve as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s next DPWH chief as the agency faced scrutiny over substandard flood control projects.</p>

Former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson confirmed receiving informal offers from Malacañang to serve as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s next DPWH chief as the agency faced scrutiny over substandard flood control projects.

Singson confirms getting Palace feelers to be next DPWH Secretary

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Singson confirms getting Palace feelers to be next DPWH Secretary

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 21, 2025 11:18 AM PHT

|

Updated Aug 21, 2025 01:48 PM PHT

Read More:

Rogelio Singson

Manuel Bonoan

DPWH

Malacañang

flood control projects

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