Public works chief ‘Vince’ Dizon. (Photo from Instagram)
Dead serious in holding accountable all those implicated in anomalous government infrastructure projects, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon is requesting different agencies to submit a list of properties such as cars, water vessels and aircraft registered in the names of the 26 DPWH officials and private company owners who are facing cases before the Office of the Ombudsman.
In separate letters addressed to the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Registration Authority (LRA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Dizon asked the heads of the said agencies to provide the list of properties owned by individuals implicated in the multi-billion flood control mess, particularly those in Bulacan.
“This request was made to prevent the dissipation, removal or disposal of properties strongly suspected to be the proceeds of, or related to, unlawful activities, as defined under Section 3(i) of RA (Republic Act) No. 9160, as amended. Such preemptive action is necessary to safeguard assets from disposal and ensure that ongoing government efforts to combat corruption and money laundering are not undermined,” the public works chief stated in his letters.
Prior to the requests, Dizon had asked assistance from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in filing applications before the Court of Appeals (CA) for the issuance of freeze orders against the DPWH officials, employees and private contractors pursuant to Section 10 of RA 9160, otherwise known as the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), which the CA has granted.
Included in the mess are DPWH officials Henry Alcantara, the former assistant regional director of Bulacan; Brice Ericson Hernandez, former district engineer; Jaypee Mendoza, former assistant district engineer; John Michael Ramos, construction section chief; Ernesto Galang of the planning and design section; Lorenzo Pagtalunan, maintenance section head; Norberto Santos of the Quality Assurance and Hydrology Section; Jaime Hernandez, also of the maintenance section; Floralyn Simbulan, administrative section; Juanito Mendoza, formerly from the finance section; Roberto Roque, budget unit; Benedict Matawaran, procurement unit; Christina Mae Pineda, cashier II; and project engineers Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Jaron Laus, Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Benex Francisco and Jolo Mari Tayao.
From the private firms, listed are Cezarah Rowena Discaya and husband Pacifico and Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando, all of Saint Timothy Construction Corporation; Cezarah Mark Allan Arevalo, general manager of Wawao Builders; Sally Santos, owner of SYMS Construction Trading; and Robert Imperio of IM Construction Corporation.
Dizon has ordered the filing of charges against all of these individuals before the Office of the Ombudsman for violation of RA 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; and Article 217 (Malversation) of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Article 171 on Falsification, of RA 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.