The new DPWH secretary Vince Dizon has ordered a lifetime ban on contractors involved in ghost projects. In his first press briefing, he said he personally saw these projects with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Dizon explained that if a contract is proven to be a ghost project, the contractor will automatically blacklisted without further process. He stressed that those found to be involved will not be given a second chance.
At the same time, he also promised to reform the DPWH and cooperate with Marcos' independent commission plan that will focus on corruption in the flood control projects.
Apart from the DPWH, Dizon said the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), which handles the accreditation of contractors, also needs to be fixed. There are reports that accreditation is being sold for ₱2,000,000.
Some contractors involved have also been identified, including St. Timothy Construction Corp. which is connected to a prominent family. Dizon explained that it is the PCAB's responsibility to be more diligent to prevent the return of blacklisted contractors using a new name.
