Dizon appoints new officials to controversial Bulacan post

Metro Manila, Philippines –  The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has appointed two key officials to the controversial Bulacan 1st district engineering office that has been marred with corruption in the multibillion-peso flood control scam.

In a special order dated Dec. 15, Secretary Vince Dizon appointed Kenneth Edward Fernando as the district engineer (officer in-charge), having served in the agency for a decade, and a product of the DPWH cadet engineering program that trains young civil engineers to join the department. 

Dizon also designated Paul Lumabas as OIC assistant district engineer. 

Lumabas was the OIC for the planning division and has only been in the engineering district for a month, Dizon said, adding that the new officer had a stint at the public-private partnership service of the central office. 

“Sila ‘yung aasahan natin na fresh blood na mag-te-take over sa 1st district of Bulacan with the hopes of us finding solutions to the problems that we have here,” he said during a visit to the area.

[Translation: They are the new breed of leaders who will take over the 1st district of Bulacan, with the hope that we can finally find solutions to the problems we have here]

Dizon advised the new officials to avoid the path of their predecessors. 

The DPWH asked the ombudsman to file criminal and administrative charges against former district engineer Henry Alcantara and assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez for non-existent and substandard flood control projects, and for allegedly pocketing kickbacks from infrastructure deals. 

“Huwag kayong gagaya dun sa mga papalitan ninyo. Huwag na, huwag kayong gagaya. Kasi kung gumaya kayo, kung ano mangyayari sa kanila, iyon din ang mangyayari sa inyo. And I don’t think you want that to happen to you or to your families. Let’s do this right,” he told the officials.

[Translation: Do not imitate the people you are going to replace. Don’t, don’t imitate them. Because if you do, whatever happens to them will also happen to you. And I don’t think you want that to happen to you or to your families. Let’s do this right.]