Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769396192118Screen Shot 2026-01-26 at 10.55.03 AM_cropped_processed_by_imagy.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>📷༘  Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday said he plans to file a new set of cases against a contractor and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in Mimaropa over other allegedly substandard flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/25/-nakakaperwisyo-mindoro-gov-flags-defective-p420-m-dike-after-collapse-1310">&#x27;Nakakaperwisyo&#x27;: Mindoro gov flags defective P420-M dike after collapse</a></div><p>This comes a day after Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor revealed that another section of the road dike along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River had collapsed, contributing to the severe flooding that affected the towns of Naujan and Victoria in December last year.</p><p>According to Dizon, this is the same area where the supposedly substandard flood control project of Zaldy Co-linked Sunwest Inc. was built—same road dike, just a different segment.</p><p>But this time, the contractor for the two flood control projects, which cost P420 million, has been identified as New Big Four J.</p><p>“Yung suspetya natin na talagang dinaya nila yung buong stretch na yan, naco-confirm, lalo nitong bagong nakita ni Governor Dolor,” said Dizon.</p><p>“Ito na yung sinasabi ko na patong-patong talaga ‘tong mga kasong ‘to… Part 2 ‘to, pero ibang kontratista. May panibagong mga makakasuhan dito. Yung mga taga-DPWH sila pa rin… Nakita ko na yung mga papeles, sila former Regional Director (Gerald) Pacanan din ang pumirma,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;FIX IT&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>But Dizon said the first order of business is asking the contractor to fix the damaged structure since it is still under warranty.</p><p>“Completed na yung proyekto, nasira, e kailangan panagutin ng contractor yan so siya magpapaayos… Yung New Big Four J, today, papadalhan na natin ng demand letter to repair. Ang estimate yata is nasa P20+ million ang repair na kailangan gawin,” he said.</p><p>The Secretary said it should be repaired before the next rainy season comes.</p><p>But even if the contractor manages to fix the issue, Dizon said a criminal case is still likely.</p><p>“Substandard e. Iba yung issue ng nasira, iba yung issue ng substandard. At dahil doon, may pananagutan… Three meters ulit yung sheetpile, kamukha din nung sa Sunwest, e kailangang imbestigahan na yan,” he noted, referring to the length of the sheet piles installed which are supposed to be 12 meters long based on the DPWH design.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CLOSE TIES?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Dizon said investigators will also look into the alleged close ties of the contractor to former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo— another central figure in the flood control corruption mess.</p><p>“Posible kasi na-establish na si former RD Pacanan, malapit (rin) kay Usec Bernardo… Kahit na nasa Witness Protection Program si Usec Bernardo, e yung mga ganyang impormasyon kailangan nating yang imbestigahan at yan lahat isa-submit natin sa DOJ tsaka sa Ombudsman,” said Dizon.</p><p>Asked why there seems to be a lot of anomalous projects in Oriental Mindoro, this is what Dizon had to say:</p><p>“Mukhang kagaya ng 1st District ng Bulacan, hawak nila ang region ng Mindoro… Alam niyo naman ang theory doon sa kaso natin sa Sunwest is may kuntsabahan na nangyayari between sina Zaldy Co at yung mga taga-DPWH. And mukhang ganun ang sitwasyon sa Oriental Mindoro,” he surmised.</p><p>“Madali silang makagawa ng mga hao siao na project doon na pinagkakakitaan nila,” added Dizon.</p><p>Pacanan and other DPWH Mimropa personnel are already facing trial before the Sandiganbayan, while the former Ako Bicol Party-list Congressman is still at large.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></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/CTz8aDj5HNQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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>Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the first order of business is asking the contractor to fix the damaged structure since it is still under warranty.</p>

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the first order of business is asking the contractor to fix the damaged structure since it is still under warranty.

Dizon eyes new cases vs contractor, DPWH officials over another ‘substandard’ dike in Mindoro

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Dizon eyes new cases vs contractor, DPWH officials over another ‘substandard’ dike in Mindoro

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 26, 2026 10:57 AM PHT

Read More:

flood control

road dike

DPWH

Vince Dizon

Naujan

Oriental Mindoro

New Big Four J

Humerlito Dolor

Gerald Pacanan

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