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Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday denied insinuations that he was covering up alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects in Taguig City, saying the investigation into the projects is still ongoing. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News & Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday denied insinuations that he was covering up alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects in Taguig City, saying the investigation into the projects is still ongoing.
“Hinding-hindi natin gagawin yun, hinding-hindi ko papayagan yun, no way. No way tayong magko-cover up. Kung saan ang ebidensya papunta, doon tayo pupunta,” he told the media.
“Ang Pangulo mismo pinandigan niya yun, kahit sarili niyang pinsan nakakulong ngayon. Kailangan follow the leader tayo,” added Dizon.
His statement came a day after Senator Panfilo Lacson warned that any attempt to cover up anomalies in Taguig infrastructure projects could expose those involved to criminal liability.
Lacson had also questioned Dizon’s statement during a Senate budget hearing last week that there were no ghost flood control projects in Taguig, citing certain red flags found by the DPWH’s own inspection teams.
Among these was a slope protection project along the Taguig River whose billing photographs contained geotagged coordinates pointing to Leyte, around 600 kilometers from Taguig.
Dizon acknowledged the irregularities, describing the discrepancy involving the Leyte coordinates as a “major red flag.”
But he explained that the findings are still undergoing further validation and that the report, which was also sent to Lacson, is not yet conclusive.
“Preliminary ito lahat, first site investigation pa lang. Kailangan yan i-validate,” said Dizon.
Asked again whether there were definitely no ghost flood control projects in Taguig, Dizon said the investigation had yet to reach a final conclusion.
CAYETANO TO DIZON: NASAAN ANG PANININDIGAN MO?
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano hit back at Dizon after the DPWH chief clarified his earlier statement about the lack of ghost projects in Taguig, following criticism from Lacson.
“Nasaan ngayon ang paninidigan mo na paulit-ulit mong sasabihin sa amin na hinalungkat niyo na ang lahat ng project, walang ghost?” said Cayetano during a social media livestream.
Cayetano said he was only calling for a fair investigation, arguing that authorities should not declare anyone guilty without sufficient basis.
“Sabi ng Pangulo, wala rin sasantuhin. Pero sabi din ng Pangulo, wala ka rin uusigin na inosente,” he added.
Cayetano also pointed out that discrepancies in project coordinates do not automatically mean that a project is a ghost project, noting that the DPWH itself had acknowledged inaccuracies in some of its past records.
“Kaya nga hindi kita tinanong kung may irregularities kasi alam ko yun, tinitignan niyo pa,” he said.
“Yung coordinates, ikaw na nagsabi e, buong Pilipinas may mali-mali sa coordinates. Kaya anong sabi po nung umpisa? Mahigit 400 ang ghost. Ilan ang nakita niyong ghost? 10 pa lang. Bakit? Kasi mali-mali ang coordinates. Nung tinignan niyo, hindi ghost,” Cayetano added.
Cayetano also said he was the one who told Dizon about Discaya-owned firms being involved in projects in Taguig even before the flood control scandal erupted.
“Sino bang nagsumbong sa inyo na Discaya? Hindi ba ako? Kasama mo pa ako nung binista yung isang project ng Discaya,” he said.
“Oh bakit? Hindi ko na muna sasabihin ngayon yan kasi kasama mo rin ang nagpasok ng mga Discaya diba?” he added.
ABS-CBN News is seeking Dizon’s response to Cayetano’s claims.
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