Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is calling for the immediate preventive suspension of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials allegedly involved in “ghost” flood-control projects. Speaking at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, Cayetano questioned why the agency appeared to be exempt from the standard preventive suspension policy, which is a critical step in preventing cover-ups during an investigation.
“Why does it seem like the DPWH is exempt from preventive suspension?” asked Cayetano, who serves as the senior vice chair of the committee. He emphasized that without such a suspension, officials would have ample time to conceal their tracks and manipulate evidence.
The senator highlighted that DPWH’s own rules require a detailed paper trail and photo documentation at every stage of construction. He stated that this built-in system of checks and balances should make it easy to identify those responsible for fraudulent projects. “All you have to do is tell them (contractors), ‘Where is the report? And take a picture of the project,’” he told DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was present at the hearing.
Cayetano noted that quality assurance units exist in every district and regional office, with completion reports flowing up the chain of command to the Undersecretaries. He pressed for clarification on how high up the agency’s leadership the physical verification of projects goes, stating that this information is crucial for pinpointing who should be held accountable.
With three weeks having passed since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first flagged “ghost projects” in his State of the Nation Address, Cayetano urged the DPWH to take swift action. “The President already said it, and you have said it, that there appear to be ghost projects. So please check on them,” he concluded.
