The battle against graft and corruption is necessary and noble one, and I commend Sec. Vince Dizon’s resolve in pursuing it within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
However, his current approach of filing cases against his own people, right and left, is starting to feel less like a surgical strike and more like a friendly fire incident.
It’s time for Sec. Vince to pause, take a step back, and let the newly-formed Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) take the lead.
Price of Distrust
You’ve said it yourself, Secretary: only a small percentage of DPWH employees are “rotten.” The vast majority are good, honest, and hardworking civil servants.
But by constantly putting the spotlight on a few bad apples and filing cases against your own ranks, you’re eroding the trust and morale of the entire department.
The very foundation you need to build a better Philippines is being weakened.
A department cannot function when its people are constantly looking over their shoulders, fearing that their next professional decision could land them in court.
This pervasive sense of suspicion and low morale will inevitably slow down projects and hinder the very progress you are trying to achieve.
Infrastructure work isn’t like assembling a simple puzzle. It requires a deep well of technical knowledge and institutional memory.
The district engineers, regional directors, and mid-level officials you’re targeting cannot easily be replaced.
They hold the keys to years of experience and expertise.
Recklessly removing them without sufficient proof and legal basis, based on premature findings, could cripple the DPWH’s ability to implement critical projects.
We must ensure that accountability is pursued with due process and without sacrificing the technical core of the department.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already provided us with a new path forward.
With the creation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), we have a dedicated, impartial body whose sole purpose is to investigate these very anomalies.
As outlined in Department Order No. 176, series of 2025, and following the President’s directive, the DPWH must now defer to the ICI as the primary body tasked with investigations.
This is a game-changer. By shifting the responsibility to the ICI, you ensure that investigations are conducted with independence, fairness, and due process.
This move strengthens the administration’s commitment to good governance while allowing the DPWH to focus on what it does best: building.
Focus on Building, Not Battling
Your full attention is needed on delivering the administration’s infrastructure agenda, particularly the “Build Better More” (BBM) legacy projects.
Imagine the impact you could have if all your energy, and the energy of the entire department, was focused on implementing high-impact projects nationwide—bridges, roads, flood-control structures, and other critical infrastructure that will improve mobility, protect lives and property, and drive economic growth.
Let the ICI handle the investigations and the necessary legal actions. Your role is to lead the DPWH, and that means inspiring confidence, not sowing fear.
Extend your full cooperation to the ICI, turning over all relevant documents and data, and then pivot your focus entirely back to the monumental task of building our nation.
By doing so, you’re not surrendering the fight against corruption; you’re just delegating it to the right people.
You’re showing the good men and women of the DPWH that you trust them and that you believe in their ability to serve.
Ultimately, this approach will serve the department—and the country—in good stead.
