Palace: No cover-up in 'anomalous' Taguig flood control projects

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Malacañang on Monday assured the public that there would be no cover-up in the investigation into alleged anomalous flood control projects in Taguig City after Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over a supposed project in the city whose coordinates were found to be in the Visayas.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered an investigation into the alleged anomalous flood control projects, including any DPWH officials found to be involved in a cover-up.

“Kung meron mang tauhan ang DPWH na nais magtakip, ito po ay isang paalala na ang Pangulo po ang nais ay tamang pag-iimbestiga, sapat na pag-iimbestiga, walang kinakanlong, walang itinatago, lalo lalo na kung ito ay mga kaaliyado,” Castro said in a press briefing.

(If there are any DPWH personnel who intend to cover up anything, this is a reminder that the President wants a proper and thorough investigation, with no one being shielded and nothing being concealed, especially when those involved are allies.)

“Definitely, kailangan (magkakaroon ng sibakan) kung merong hindi magandang nangyayari sa DPWH. Kung may pinagtatakpan na mga kaibigan, kaalyado, hindi magdadalawang-isip ang Pangulo na sibakin ang mga taong gumagawa nito dahil definitely, absolutely, prejudicial ito sa gobyerno,” she added.

(Definitely, there will be dismissals if something improper is happening within the DPWH. If there are people covering up for friends or allies, the President will not hesitate to dismiss those responsible because this is definitely and absolutely prejudicial to the government.)

Castro also said the DPWH was investigating the coordinates flagged by Lacson.

The senator said geotagged photos of the projects attached to billing reports “reflected coordinates located approximately 600 kilometers away in Leyte Province.”

Lacson also claimed that the contractor for the project was linked to the Discaya couple, who have been implicated in the flood control controversy.

The senator's social media post came after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said his office had yet to find a ghost or non-existent infrastructure project in Taguig City.

“Ang binabanggit lamang po niya (DPWH Secretary Dizon) dito ay patungkol doon sa mga conclusive na mga ghost projects. So wala daw doon sa sampu na alam niyang conclusive ghost projects yung itinatanong sa kanya,” Castro said.

(What he [DPWH Secretary Dizon] was referring to were projects conclusively identified as ghost projects. He said none of the 10 projects being asked about were among those he knew to have been conclusively identified as ghost projects.)

“Niliwanag niya ito at kinakailangan ng mas masusi at mabusising na imbestigasyon dahil hindi naman kinakailangan na cover up,” she added.

(He clarified this, and a more thorough and comprehensive investigation is needed. There is no need for any cover-up.)

In a separate interview, Dizon denied that the DPWH was focusing its investigation into alleged anomalous flood control projects on any particular area.

“There are almost 200 ongoing investigations all over the country. So hindi pwedeng sabihin na nakatutuok sa lugar ito. Iba’t iba 'yan (so we cannot say we are focusing on only one area. They involve different areas),” Dizon said.

Dizon says DPWH has nearly 200 ongoing flood control investigations

— Mariel Celine Serquiña

A couple of editorial points I changed: “the Discaya couple, who are big figures in the flood control scandal” was softened to “who have been implicated in the flood control controversy” to avoid adopting a potentially loaded characterization as fact. I also changed “will be no cover-up” to “there would be no cover-up in the investigation” for cleaner news style.