Ombudsman suspends 5 DPWH engineers over anomalous Bulacan projects

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday said it ordered the preventive suspension of five project engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amid its ongoing investigation involving three flood control projects in Bulacan.

In a statement, the ombudsman identified the five engineers as Irene Ontingco, Kevin Geronimo, John Michael Ramos, Bernardo Villafuerte, and Michelle Cruz, who were part of the DPWH Bulacan First District.

The five were placed under preventive suspension without pay for a period not exceeding six months “pending the resolution of administrative cases against them,” the ombudsman said.

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It noted that the engineers are facing charges of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and gross neglect of duty “in connection with three flood control projects undertaken in 2024.”

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These projects involved the construction of reinforced concrete slope revetments in Barangays Piel, San Roque, and Sulivan at Baliuag City, and had a combined contract value of more than P188.89 million.

A panel of special investigators under the ombudsman alleged that the respondents “falsified documents related to the implementation, inspection, acceptance, billing and payment of the projects.”

This was “to make it appear that contractual and legal requirements had been complied with” and allow for the disbursement of funds.

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The investigators also found that the respondents “manipulated project documentation to facilitate the award of contracts to a joint venture despite alleged noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations.”

The ombudsman said it found “sufficient grounds” to believe that the allegations against the five DPWH engineers were “supported by strong evidence at this stage of the proceedings” and ordered their suspension.

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Allowing the five engineers to remain in their positions, the ombudsman added, could also “prejudice the ongoing situation” since they may still have access or are in possession of other evidence relevant to the case. /mr