In a press briefing, Secretary Vince Dizon announced that 11 regional and district officials of the DPWH have been relieved as part of the agency's ongoing house cleaning. This is the so-called “initial batch” of officials who were removed due to various reasons, including ongoing investigations that he could not yet fully disclose.
Among those removed are four regional directors: Ronnel Tan (Region 1), Jovel Mendoza (Region 4-A), Virgilio Eduarte (Region 5), and Danilo Villa (Region 7). Also included are assistant regional directors Neil Farala (Region 4-B) and Annie dela Vega (Region 5), as well as district engineers Ruel Umali (3rd district, Metro Manila) and Manny Bulusan (South Manila). Three more district engineers—Sherylann Gonzales, Roy Pacanan, and Peter Scheller Soco—were dismissed after being deemed ineligible by the Civil Service Commission.
According to Dizon, the DPWH will set stricter merit requirements for all officers, including district engineers, assistant district engineers, regional directors, and assistant regional directors. The aim is to strengthen the qualifications of officers and ensure that the agency's projects are sound and transparent. Following the relief of the 11 officers, a reshuffling is expected in the department to improve operations.
Dizon also expressed no concern about the apparent lack of funds for foreign-assisted projects in the DPWH's 2026 budget. According to him, the agency is looking at the savings from 2025 and the current year, as well as the lower project costs due to the revised cost of materials. He also assured DPWH's lenders, such as ADB, JICA, and Korea ExIm, that there are sufficient funds to ensure that no projects are delayed under the foreign-assisted projects program.
Meanwhile, Malacañang urged witnesses of the flood control scam to be careful and not be deceived, so as not to be implicated in the case instead of helping the investigation. According to Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, witnesses are important in finding the truth behind the scandal. She also said that those with significant information can become state witnesses depending on their qualifications.
