President Rodrigo Duterte has assigned a task force to investigate allegations of corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The Department of Justice (DOJ) will lead the task force to look into the left and right allegations of corruption in the agency, previously filed by Duterte and some senators.
“‘Yong task force na nabuo ko… this will look into every department. But upon my request, behest, to focus sa corruption sa DPWH,” Duterte said in a speech on Monday that aired this Tuesday morning.
He said the DOJ should also file a case against those involved in the anomalies, whether against a government official or a private person.
Despite this, Duterte expressed confidence in Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, whom he called hardworking and had many accomplishments.
According to Duterte, the public should expect that in the coming days, there will be those who will be suspended due to corruption in the DPWH.
Villar said he was open to the investigation into the alleged corruption in the agency.
In an interview this Tuesday, Villar said they are also investigating high and low-ranking officials, but he declined to name them.
The results of the investigation will be released in the coming weeks.
Last week, Villar said he had also formed a task force within the DPWH to investigate corruption allegations.
Duterte creates task force to probe DPWH corruption
Meanwhile, Malacañang said it would be up to President Rodrigo Duterte if he would reveal lawmakers’ names tagged in anomalies surrounding some projects of DPWH.
“Let’s leave that decision to the President,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing. “To my knowledge, the PACC has not submitted anything to the President as of now.”
Last week, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner Greco Belgica claimed that some lawmakers are manipulating the implementation of DPWH projects and district engineers’ designation.
Belgica added that the PACC would submit to Duterte the details of the irregularities and lawmakers’ names who could be involved.
Commission on Audit earlier flagged DPWH over P100 billion worth of delayed and unimplemented agency projects in 2019.