MANILA – The public should hold its judgment against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and allow them to investigate the alleged corruption within the agency.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after Public works secretary Mark Villar created a task force to probe his fellow executives and employees.
“Siguro po pangunang hakbang pa lang iyan na ginawa ng DPWH para i-address ang problema na corruption na inilabas ng ating Presidente,” Roque said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
“Let’s give them a chance dahil sa ating pagkakalaam, this is one of the rare moments na ina-address natin ang corruption d’yan sa DPWH na sabi nga ni Presidente ay lantaran at parang systematic,” he added.
In his address to the public on Monday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte said subordinates of Villar were to blame for the alleged anomalies.
“Si Sec. Villar maraming pera, ‘di kailangan mangurakot. Ang problema, sa baba. Malakas pa rin hanggang ngayon. ‘Yung mga projects sa baba, ‘yun ang laro diyan,” Duterte said.
Senators earlier flagged around P345.25-billion in lump sum lodged in the agency’s proposed 2021 budget. Some lawmakers and officials also allegedly asked for “kickbacks” from contractors that won projects from the agency.
The Commission on Audit, for its part, has told the DPWH to recover a total of P431.933 million from contractors of projects which exceeded allowable costs./PN
