Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.
— German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein
Billions of pesos in public funds were reportedly lost due to irregularities in the processing and implementation of flood control and mitigation projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Yet despite the controversy, there are still those who remain in office even as the current Marcos administration has vowed to rid government of corruption.
Intrigue within the DPWH has been growing louder in recent weeks, centering on a few officials who, according to sources, continue to hold key positions in the agency allegedly because they are province-mates of Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon.
Most of these so-called “kababayans” of the public works secretary, sources claim, have already been extended favors and were even promoted despite being implicated in the scandal-tainted flood control mess.
DPWH insiders also said that as soon as Dizon became the agency’s top executive, many observed that in the aftermath of his revamp, several of his province-mates had become “untouchable,” protected and now well entrenched from within.
A majority of these officials, according to sources, gained immunity from cases and were retained or promoted in their respective assignments.
Sources added that this has caused extreme demoralization among the agency’s rank-and-file. Instead of correcting a corrupted system, they said, it became the signal for corruption to continue within the DPWH.
Is it true, then, that the clear message being sent by the DPWH secretary is what former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada once declared: “Weather-weather lang sa politika.”
Many had hoped reforms would finally take root and wrongdoing would stop, as Sec. Dizon had vowed when he assumed office. But it now appears to be the same age-old practice of “ningas cogon.”
And speaking of reforms in the DPWH, why are those who have been tagged as the architects and promoters of flood control corruption still in the agency?
One official worth mentioning, our sources pointed out, is Assistant Secretary Alex Bote, who is said to be close to and a confidant of the late former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral. Instead of being placed under “floating” status, Bote was reportedly promoted to a new position.
From Director for Planning and head of the Public-Private Partnership Service, his rank was elevated to assistant secretary.
It is shocking to see this happen. What miraculous circumstance paved the way for his promotion?
And should we now forget how Batangas Rep. Leandro “Lean” Legarda-Leviste claimed that Mr. Bote gave the congressman — the son of Senator Loren Legarda — access to Cabral’s computer files, or the so-called “Controversial Cabral Files,” which allegedly contained the names of the “honorable” congressmen and senators involved in the flood control fiasco?
Just asking. . . .
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Thank you and mabuhay!
