Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

DPWH

Andrea Taguines

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/1757550134618cropped-viber_image_2025-09-08_11-26-23.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vince Dizon attends his first flag raising ceremony as the new Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary on Sept. 8, 2025. Courtesy of DPWH</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA <strong>(4th UPDATE) </strong>— The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday filed corruption complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against 20 DPWH personnel and five contractors allegedly involved in the flood control project anomalies in Bulacan province.</p><p>DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon personally filed the graft and corruption, and malversation complaints against Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and 18 other officials and employees of the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, who released the payment for the unfinished or non-existent projects.</p><p>They were also charged with violating the Government Procurement Act.</p><p>Respondents from the Bulacan 1st DEO include the following.</p><ul><li>Ex-District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara</li><li>Former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson D. Hernandez</li><li>Construction Section Chief Jaypee D. Mendoza</li><li>John Michael E. Ramos</li><li>Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto C. Galang</li><li>OIC Maintenance Section Chief Lorenzo A. Pagtalunan </li><li>Jaime R. Hernandez</li><li>Quality Assurance Section Chief Norberto L. Santos</li><li>Administrative Section Chief Floralyn Y. Simbulan</li><li>Finance Section Juanito C. Mendoza</li><li>Budget Unit Head Roberto A. Roque</li><li>Procurement Unit Head Benedict J. Matawaran</li><li>Cashier Christina Mae D. Pineda</li><li>Project Engineers Paul Jayson F. Duya</li><li>Merg Jaron C. Laus</li><li>Lemuel Ephraim C. Roque</li><li>Arjay S. Domasig</li><li>John Carlo C. Rivera</li><li>John Benex S. Francisco</li><li>Engr. Jolo Mari V. Tayao </li></ul><div><br/></div><p>“Halimbawa, yung project na binisita ni Pangulo sa Baliuag, walang project pero merong acceptance nung proyekto. Pinirmahan ng mga taong ito. Pinakita din ng Pangulo may resibo, binayaran ang Syms, so may nag-issue, nag-authorize ng pagbayad noon. Lahat yun kailangan managot,” said Dizon.</p><p>Also facing charges are the following individuals from private construction companies Syms Construction Trading, Wawao Builders, St. Timothy Construction, and IM Construction Corporation due to their alleged involvement in ghost and substandard flood control projects. </p><ul><li>Sally N. Santos of SYMS Construction Trading </li><li>Mark Allan V. Arevalo of Wawao Builders</li><li>Ma. Roma Angeline D. Rimando of St. Timothy Construction Corporation</li><li>Cezarah Rowena C. Discaya of St. Timothy Construction Corporation</li><li>Robert T. Imperio of IM Construction Corporation</li></ul><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/8/new-dpwh-chief-dizon-brings-in-new-team-to-clean-house-1203">&#x27;I trust them&#x27;: DPWH chief Dizon brings in new team to clean house</a></div><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/1757559998273cropped-G0iE1K0aMAQUObx.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>Dizon said the cases were non-bailable and carry a penalty of life imprisonment.</p><p>“Open and shut case ang mga ‘to… Tayo po ay kumonsulta sa mga legal luminaries, ang kanilang naging suggestion and recommendation is mag-file ng mga kaso na pinakamadaling patunayan given the evidence we have para po mabilis nating mapakulong ang mga taong ito,” he said.</p><p>&quot;Simula pa lang po ito habang po wala pa ang Independent Commission na itatayo pa lamang ng ating Pangulo… We will all get the justice that we all deserve as Filipinos,&quot; he added. &quot;Within 10 days po, wala pang 10 araw na pumasok tayo sa DPWH, sabi ng Pangulo, &#x27;bilisan.&#x27; Ito na po, binibilisan na po natin. At una pa lang po ito sa mas marami pang mga kasong parating.&quot; </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MORE CASES TO COME, POSSIBLE FREEZING OF ACCOUNTS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>While most of the anomalous flood control projects are being discovered in Bulacan, Dizon said the ball won’t stop there.</p><p>He said his team will likely be making weekly trips to the Office of the Ombudsman, given the number of DPWH officials and contractors across the country who need to be charged.</p><p>“It’s an organized criminal syndicate— nasa district level, regional level, dito sa central office. Imposible kang makakapagpabayad at makakapagpa-accept ng isang project na alam mong ghost kung hindi organisado yan mula baba hanggang taas. Whether Usec, Asec, director, regional director, district engineer, assistant DE, engineer— wala tayong sasantuhin dito,” said Dizon.</p><p>The government is also looking at asking the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the accounts of those implicated.</p><p>“Ang importante dito, maibalik ang pera ng tao. Daang-daang milyon ito, kailangan maibalik ‘to,” said Dizon.</p><p>According to Dizon, he will leave it to the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/11/marcos-announces-creation-of-independent-body-on-flood-control-probe-1412">independent commission</a>, to be formed by Malacañang, to conduct a broader investigation into the politicians who are also being implicated in the flood control corruption scandal.</p><div><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><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F1863046994290733%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The DPWH chief also urged Filipinos to tip the agency of possible anomalous infrastructure projects in their area.</p><p>“At humihingi ako ng tulong sa taong bayan. I-channel po natin ang galit natin para huliin pa ang mga ito... Hanapin niyo po sila, padala niyo po sa amin. Maniwala po kayo, lahat ho sila isasama natin sa mga ganito sa mga susunod na linggo, susunod na buwan,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;TOP TO BOTTOM&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Barely weeks into his new job, Dizon said he was &quot;overwhelmed&quot; by the scale of corruption he discovered in the DPWH.</p><p>&quot;Malalim ito, top to bottom... This is corruption in a scale not seen, we have not seen in the past. The Napoles scandal is like petty change compared to this,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/10/-mukhang-kakuntsaba-doj-weighs-possibility-of-discayas-as-state-witnesses-1603">&#x27;Mukhang kakuntsaba&#x27;: DOJ weighs possibility of Discayas as state witnesses</a></div><p>Dizon said corruption in the agency would not have thrived without the participation of high-ranking officials.</p><p>&quot;Hindi magagawa ng district engineer ito na walang katulong sa regional, sa taas, it&#x27;s a chain that goes all the way up... Sabi ng Pangulo, we have to make everyone who is responsible for this accountable. They have to face the music,&quot; Dizon said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/2/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-confirms-15-non-existent-projects-1855">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan confirms 15 ‘non-existent’ projects</a></div><p>When asked if the Discaya couple Sara and Curlee could become state witnesses, Dizon said,” Hindi po ako abogado pero alam ko ‘yung most guilty hindi pupuwede ‘yon. And I think the Discayas are one of the most guilty here.”</p><div><em></em><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><strong><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/5jX486pznWQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><em></em><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/Sl1daHU6e7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The DPWH on Thursday filed corruption complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against personnel and contractors allegedly involved in the flood control scandal.</p>

The DPWH on Thursday filed corruption complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against personnel and contractors allegedly involved in the flood control scandal.

DPWH files raps vs 25 personnel, contractors tagged in flood control mess

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DPWH files raps vs 25 personnel, contractors tagged in flood control mess

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 11, 2025 08:04 AM PHT

|

Updated Sep 11, 2025 04:03 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

politics

Ombudsman

DIscaya

flood control

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