MANILA — Malacañang has thrown its weight behind Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s ongoing purge of corrupt personnel, asserting that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) needs internal reform—not abolition—to restore integrity amid mounting graft allegations.
Press Officer Claire Castro said during a Palace briefing on Monday that dismantling the DPWH is “not on the table,” stressing that accountability must focus only on erring officials and not the entire agency.
“Hindi lahat ng mga nangangasiwa at hindi lahat ng mga taong-gobyerno sa DPWH ay masasabi nating gumawa ng kamalian. May mga public servants pa rin at public officials na masasabi nating tumutugon sa kanilang mga obligasyon,” Castro said.
She emphasized that the Marcos administration’s approach is to “remove the rotten apples” rather than disband an institution that plays a vital role in national development.
“Sa ngayon ay hindi pa naiisip kung dapat itong i-abolish dahil dapat ang tanggalin dito ay iyong mga gumagawa ng mali. Madali naman malaman kung sino-sino ito at sa tulong na rin po ni Secretary Vince, matatanggal ang dapat matanggal sa ahensiya,” she added.
Dizon earlier vowed a sweeping internal clean-up within the DPWH, saying the crackdown would affect personnel “from top to bottom.” The move follows reports of widespread anomalies in flood control and infrastructure projects involving billions of pesos.
The secretary also revealed plans to revive the DPWH’s cadet engineering program to cultivate a new generation of technically skilled and ethically grounded engineers — an initiative inspired by former DPWH chiefs Rogelio “Babes” Singson and Ping de Jesus.
Dizon said the reform drive aims to end the long-standing “padrino system” that has plagued the agency and restore public confidence in one of the country’s most powerful departments./PN
