In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to recover the stolen funds of the Filipino people from anomalous flood control projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Thursday, October 23, aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency has filed 12 cases before the PCC against the concerned contractors. He added that the commission acted swiftly on these cases, which stemmed from multiple instances of bid rigging that led to the loss of billions of pesos in public funds.
“Unang-una nagpapasalamat tayo kay [PCC Chairman Michael G. Aguinaldo] dahil mabilis ring inaaksyunan ‘yung ating finile na labing dalawang kaso,” Dizon said.
“PCC and DPWH will work hand and hand to detect and prevent a competitive practice in infrastructure procurement together. We will enhance information sharing coordination between the agencies to ensure efficient public service delivery,” Aguinaldo stated.
In a separate activity, the DPWH also signed an agreement with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to expedite the freezing of accounts belonging to contractors and government officials who violate regulations on public infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, the agency clarified that no documents related to the ongoing investigation into irregularities in flood control projects were destroyed in the fire that broke out at the DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards on Wednesday, October 22.
The investigation into the fire incident is still ongoing. (Reports from Mark Timbreza)
