The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has created a task force that will look into alleged corruption involving officials and employees of the department.
Under Department Order No. 101 he signed on October 17, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar ordered the creation of the Task Force Against Graft and Corruption (TAG) that will investigate the supposed corruption in the agency.
“In line with President R. Duterte’s stringent policy against the commission of graft and corrupt practices by government officials and/or employees, the allegations of widespread corruption, and in order to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department in exercising its mandate of providing quality infrastructure to the Filipino people, a Task Force Graft and Corruption (TAG), is hereby created,” the Order read.
The TAG, it added, will investigate anomalies allegedly perpetrated by officials and/or employees of the DPWH, based on valid complaints.
“The TAG, upon observing due process, shall recommend to the Office of the Secretary, through a resolution, the appropriate action(s) to take concerning the erring official(s) and/or employee(s),” it said.
Villar gave the task force the authority to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) that will serve as the secretariat. The TWG will also assist the TAG in the exercise of its functions.
DPWH Assistant Secretary Meljohn Verzosa was appointed as TAG chairperson while Director Gliciridia Tumaliuan-Ali as vice chairperson.
Members of the task force are Director Michael Villafranca; Stakeholders Relations Service, officer-in-charge Andro Santiago; and Atty. Ken Edward Sta Rita.
Last week, Duterte said corruption is very much active in the department.
“If Congress would want really to know, ang mga project ng DPWH mayroon talaga ‘yan para sa give. Hindi ko — hindi ko alam kung sino (there is corruption embedded in the projects of the DPWH. I just don’t know who is involved),” he said.
“There are so many officials lined up in the bureaucratic maze so hindi ko alam kung sino diyan (so I don’t know who they are),” he added.
According to Duterte, contractors were scheming with the DPWH to carry out corrupt practices.
“Ito lang, itong mga contractor. The first whiff, makaamoy ka lang na hinihingian ka… Dito sa DPWH malakas ‘yan diyan (These contractors. The first whiff, you can already smell they’ll ask money from you… Here in the DPWH, it’s strong),” he said.
“Yung mga project engineers, iyan, iyan lahat, road right-of-way, grabe ang corruption diyan. Walang — walang construction na uumpisa dito na walang transaction (The project engineers, road right-of-way, corruption there is massive. There’s no construction that will start without transactions made),” he added.
The Chief Executive, however, defended the DPWH secretary, saying Villar has a lot of money. (Azer Parrocha, Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
