Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste said on Wednesday that Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has dismissed two Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials after it was discovered that both were contractors.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Leviste confirmed that the officials—a DPWH assistant secretary and a Director IV—were brought in by Undersecretary Arrey Perez.
He said the two were contractors, a revelation that follows Leviste’s earlier claim on October 16 that many DPWH appointees were linked to or directly involved with contracting businesses.
Leviste thanked Dizon for the removal of the two DPWH officials who are contractors.
“Secretary Vince did not know these two were contractors initially, and I thank him for acting quickly once an investigation confirmed this,” Leviste said. “I also thank Secretary Vince for removing Undersecretary Perez after he attempted to bring Gardiola to him, and after I heard that if you want extra budget, you can talk to Congressman Gardiola, who is close to Usec. Perez from their time in Batangas.”
The lawmaker said Perez was linked to Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Partylist Rep. Edwin Gardiola. He further alleged that companies connected to Gardiola had secured more than ₱100 billion worth of DPWH projects over time.
Dizon earlier disclosed that Perez had voluntarily submitted his irrevocable resignation to prevent becoming a distraction to the agency's reform efforts.
According to Leviste, the government remains rife with contractor influence.
“The government is full of DPWH contractors, and officials from all over government—not only Congressmen and Senators—try to get insertions,” he said. “This diverts the budget toward money-making projects like flood control and roads instead of classrooms and hospitals in districts like mine that do not condone buying budgets and bid-rigging.”
Leviste added that investigations are ongoing into an undersecretary of another agency who allegedly became a DPWH contractor after assuming office, as well as other officials reportedly listed as proponents of questionable projects from the DPWH Central Office.
