The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and private organizations to conduct background checks on 14 newly appointed officials as part of its transparency efforts.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said he sought help from the NBI, Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) to ensure the integrity of the new appointees.
“This initiative reflects our belief that transparency should not only govern public infrastructure implementation but also the selection and evaluation of those entrusted to lead them,” Dizon said.
He emphasized that the move supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to reform and “clean up” the DPWH. “The President has repeatedly said that the DPWH should be cleaned up, not defended,” Dizon added.
Dizon also signed agreements with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to recover public funds lost to irregular projects. The AMLC has frozen about P5.2 billion worth of assets linked to questionable flood control projects.
“The President has repeatedly said: we must return this money that was lost to our countrymen,” Dizon said.
Meanwhile, Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD) Chairperson Emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia called for fairness amid allegations involving First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos.
“Integrity should never be tried by gossip nor condemned by speculation,” Goitia said, adding that the First Lady remains professional and independent in her work as a lawyer and educator.
