MANILA — The government’s crackdown on corruption at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will intensify rather than ease under incoming Secretary Giovanni Lopez, outgoing Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon warned Tuesday, putting officials implicated in questionable infrastructure projects on notice that the leadership change would offer them no reprieve.
Dizon issued the warning during a joint press conference with Lopez following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to reassign the two Cabinet officials, with Dizon returning to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Lopez taking over the DPWH.
“Kung iniisip nila na si Sec. Banoy is going to be easier or more lenient than me, I think everyone is in for a big, big surprise, because I think the opposite is true,” Dizon said.
Lopez, a lawyer and certified public accountant, signaled his readiness to pursue corruption investigations and suspend personnel suspected of wrongdoing, stressing that he has no personal or professional connections within the agency that could compromise his decisions.
“I’ve never had a relationship with anyone here professional or otherwise,” Lopez said.
He emphasized that his priority would be to institutionalize reforms already initiated under Dizon, establishing lasting safeguards against corruption and ensuring that accountability measures remain effective beyond changes in leadership.
The Cabinet reshuffle comes as the DPWH faces mounting scrutiny over alleged irregularities in flood control projects, including questionable infrastructure undertakings in Taguig that recently sparked a debate between Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Panfilo Lacson.
Dizon defended Marcos’ decision to exchange their Cabinet assignments, saying the President expects them to dismantle entrenched practices that have allowed corruption and inefficiency to persist in government agencies.
“Kaya kami nilalagay dito sa mga posisyon kasi gusto niya (Marcos) talagang guluhin namin ‘yung sistemang mali at korap,” Dizon said.
Lopez acknowledged being surprised by his reassignment but said he did not seek an explanation from the President.
Meanwhile, Dizon specifically urged his successor to closely monitor DPWH operations in Bulacan, which has emerged as a focal point of investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
Several government engineers in the province have come under scrutiny, including former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
Dizon, however, expressed confidence in 33-year-old Kenneth Edward Fernando, who assumed leadership of the district engineering office about a year ago.
He described Fernando as “fearless” and credited him with “slowly but surely” addressing infrastructure problems inherited from the office’s previous leadership.
The outgoing secretary said Fernando’s leadership offered reassurance that corrective measures in the district would continue despite the transition at the DPWH’s highest level.
Dizon also dismissed suggestions that the high-profile Cabinet assignments were stepping stones toward political ambitions, stressing that he and Lopez were focused on fulfilling their responsibilities as public servants.
He said neither of them was interested in seeking higher elective office, joking that they did not even aspire to become president of a homeowners’ association.
The leadership transition places Lopez at the forefront of the administration’s continuing efforts to address alleged corruption in public infrastructure spending, particularly flood control projects, while testing whether reforms initiated under Dizon can be sustained and strengthened under a new secretary./PN
