House to invite DPWH engineer arrested for attempted bribing - Ridon

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer who was arrested for trying to bribe a congressman will be invited in the House tri-committee probe on infrastructure projects, a panel chairman said on Monday, Aug. 25.

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste’s office identified the district engineer who attempted to bribe him as Abelardo Calalo, whom the lawmaker will file a case against.

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, chairperson of the public accounts panel, said the issue may be tackled in the congressional inquiry.

"The bribery attempt may be the subject of future House Infrastructure Committee hearings. We may ask Rep. Leviste to provide further details in the hearing and invite all concerned persons to provide further information," Ridon said in a message.

“[We] will invite all involved persons including the district engineer,” he added.

Ridon said the investigation of the tri-committee – composed of the public accounts, public works, and good government panels – may start in the next two weeks.

Protect whistleblowers

Meanwhile, Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez called on the Department of Justice to reach out to DPWH officials and employees who want to testify on the alleged corruption in the agency and place them under the whistleblower program.

“Pagkakataon na ito para maisiwalat nila ang katotohanan. Responsibilidad ng pamahalaan na bigyan sila ng plataporma at karampatang proteksyon upang maitaguyod ang katotohanan,” Benitez said in a social media post.

[Translation: This is the chance to expose the truth. It is the government’s responsibility to give them a platform and sufficient protection to uphold the truth.]

“The fight to bring to justice those who endanger the lives of our people will be long and hard. But it is something that we cannot set aside if we wish to change things for the better—to have public infrastructure that takes no shortcuts and does not jeopardize life and safety, to have government processes that are free from corrupt practices, and to put fear in the hearts of those who would corrupt the system for material gain,” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has earlier revealed the Top 15 contractors that bagged a fifth of all flood control projects nationwide.

The Senate invited the 15 contractors to its inquiry on the alleged anomalous flood control projects, wherein half of them were absent.