MANILA, Philippines — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday ordered the removal of four Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials amid investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Davao City and reports of extortion involving a construction official in Cebu.
Dizon said the four officials would be removed effective immediately.
Those removed included former Davao City district engineer Richard Ragasa, who has been reassigned to Region 4B (Mimaropa); Lilibeth Sarmiento, the current Davao district engineer; and Roberto Mamaril, city district engineering office-construction section chief.
Dizon told The Manila Times that the three were among those being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in connection with alleged irregularities involving flood control projects in Davao, including projects linked to Genesis 88.
The NBI's findings have been referred to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, he said.
The fourth official, engineer Renato Catingub, construction chief of the DPWH Cebu 4th District Engineering Office, was removed following a report that he had been extorting money from contractors.
The DPWH chief said the department would enforce a policy of immediately removing officials from their posts upon receiving reports of alleged wrongdoing, particularly in cases involving extortion.
He stressed that DPWH personnel implicated in corruption or facing cases over alleged irregularities would not be allowed to remain in their positions.
“Once you get involved in these kinds of irregularities, you must be dismissed from service,” Dizon said.
