Dizon, nagsisisi ba na naging DPWH Sec; Magalong, bakit nagbitiw? | Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho Podcast

You are DDS. What are you doing there? There are some things you don't like because Duterte liked you back then and you also said that Duterte looks like a masamahal. Sorry Mayor, there are criticisms against you. There are also projects, like the Diskaya in Baguio. What is your answer to that?

You are an evidence sharer. You are an evidence collector. Our role is first, we need to know who should be responsible for these projects. Even if it's a previous administration, we need to answer to this. So with every day that you discover these things, what do you say?

I say, why is this happening? That's my question, why is this happening? Why are you so angry and so mad at the people who did this? You took on this job. I am sorry. I am blaming. Mayor, Congressman Zaldico, there are airplanes, helicopters, and there are also gulf streams. Why does he keep figuring out in this investigation?

He is very consistent in doing wrong. His involvement in the case is also very consistent. Is Zaldico the only guilty? That would depend on the course of the investigation. What about ex-Speaker Maldes? Secretary Dizon, Mayor Magalong, thank you very much for this interview.

Secretary Dizon, how are you?

I'm a bit frustrated because we are slowly seeing the dirt and chaos in this agency. And what is really sad is the lack of patients who should be benefiting from projects like this. It's like it's all or nothing. It looks like we've spent almost a billion pesos on this project. But since the last administration, which started in 2017-2018 and ended in 2020, until now, this project hasn't been successful.

It hasn't been able't help the community. And in fact, as Jorme said, it was even worse. So that's the painful part. This was paid for in 2020, but it never worked.

And it was even worse, before, when this wasn't there, the water level here was low. When this was installed, the water level here was low. When they installed this, the water level here increased because it didn't work. So the lack of facilities, the construction of this was like a barrier. One day, they said,

you said you wanted to jump from that river that never ended.

We were together.

Because that river has been stagnant for 8 years. But they didn't stop it. Instead, they stopped the flood control. There was no side-by-side. The flood control was not even that bad. The flood control was even worse. It was close to the flood control we went to.

So with every day that you discover this, what do you say? What I say is, why is it like this? That's my question, why is it like this? That's my question. Why is it so cruel and cruel to the people who made this? I don't understand. You don't understand how we got to this point. I don't understand. I don't know, it's greed maybe. But it's more than just greed.

In your opinion, Mayor, what is this? What is this mode? The cottage industry and livelihood program that we saw. It was made by milking. This is milking, DPWH. I was surprised that it's no longer human-centric, it's about pocket-centric.

Did you not intend to disturb them?

I definitely intended to.

So that they would be more afraid?

Definitely. And this has been going on, ma'am, for years, maybe decades. That's why what the President did was right, 10 years all in Fri, because we will really see what happened here and how we will correct it.

What is your theory, Secretary Dizon?

Is it also a collusion between politicians and between DPWH and contractors? You know, that's why the President did a good job in forming the ICIL. Because the independent commission is needed here. That's why the President's EO is very important. Because if it's just DPWH, how will DPWH do it? It's a business, but the corruption system is rooted inside.

So we need to be independent. But Tim, you're always together, Mayor. Why? My job is to bring medicine, in case the blood pressure goes up. No, we're always together, Mayor. I'm reminding him of his medicine, maybe the blood pressure will rise. No, Mayor and I are bringing medicine together. I'm reminding him of his medicine so that he won't get high blood pressure. Because now, the role of DPWH is to provide information, documents, and evidence to the ICI.

So, so that it won't be difficult, we need close coordination with the special advisor of the ICRC. How did you manage the DPWH? There are so many people here. Top to bottom cleansing. This is really an overhaul compared to the car's engine.

This is an overhaul.

Maybe we need to change the whole engine. Yes. With all the changes that were made to the DPWH, can you leave any people? I still believe that the majority is still fine. But like what we did today, 10 RD and DE, including the RD of the car and DE of the bag, we removed it and we filed a case.

It's just the beginning. It will continue.

But what will happen to them, to your Sinocos?

That's a case. It's an administrative case. And you can file a criminal case with the ICI because of their possible participation in the DPWA. They will be terminated only after... No, I mean, many have been terminated already. The 20 that we initially sued, 30 of them were terminated. The 17 are suspended.

And the termination and dismissal proceedings are ongoing. And the next 10, we will do the same. And these assets have free needs, those who surrender luxury cars, etc. Yes, that includes their accounts, their cars, other assets, even the real property. We already signed with the LRA to identify the houses, land, condos, apartments of these people. The President said that it's not enough to jail them.

To charge them, to jail them. The money needs to be returned. What will happen to the luxury cars? All of those, AMRAC will freeze them, totaling almost 500 million. Will those cars be subverted eventually?

Eventually.

Yes. They said... And the airplanes, choppers. Yes. Mayor, Congressman Zaldico, he said there are airplanes, helicopters, there are a lot of helicopters, there's even a Gulfstream. Why does he keep figuring out in this investigation?

Have you already gathered evidence against him? Yes, we have. You know, it's all about he is very consistent. He is very consistent in doing wrong. His involvement in the conflict is also very case, allegedly. But we will prove it because in what we see, his fingerprints are always there. So let's just wait for the case to be filed. Does it stop with him, Mayor Magalong?

It continues. No, I mean, is Zaldico the only guilty one? That would depend on the course of the investigation. What about the speaker, Romualdez, the ex-speaker Romualdez? We will follow our leads. And in the Senate, there are also some groups that say that the insertions of the former Senate President, Chief Escudero, are big. Have you encountered that?

There are also allegations and that will also form part of the investigation. The names that came out, is that all or do you think there are more? Maybe there are more that will come out. We will continue our investigation. Because the perception of some is that there are more that will come out, not just the ones that will be mentioned. Maybe that is the ability of those who believed. But that's why our investigation is just ongoing. Okay. What is the process of your investigation in the ICI?

Secretary Vince and I continue our rounds to identify the hiding files of the projects. Those are the ones we are focusing on, especially those that have reached the attention of our President. At the same time, our investigators are also moving. Yesterday, we had a wide signing of MOUs with different groups, including National Police,

IBP, Institute of Civil Engineers, Crime Watch Groups, M4GG, and many more. There will be more series because many people want to help in our investigation. The same goes for our technical people, especially in geotechnical and material testing. There are many groups that want to help, all of them are pro bono, you will not spend anything. That's why this requires a highly skilled,

technically skilled person, group or company, that really has a technical and front office so that we can really determine what is it, compliant with established standards or the plan or the master plan. That's what we will look at in their investigation.

So you are like evidence gatherers, is that so? I am the evidence gatherer or collector, while Sec V, being the head of DPWH, he's looking at what's happening here so he knows how to manage it. How to fix it. How to fix it. He has a big headache.

For me, that's why I said I'm the one who brought his medicine. You're an evidence sharer, and the mayor is an evidence collector. Our role is first, we need to know who should be the one to be outlawed in the DPWH and the contractor paid in full in 2020, and then he left it, it's not working. That's why it's not working here. The former DPWHs are not working here.

Even the previous administration, they are not working here. Because, I don't know how to describe it even. Can you imagine, you paid for the whole thing and it never worked since then, you didn't fix it. So, another problem is how are we going to make it work? We can't just leave it like that forever. Secretary, you removed flood control from your budget.

I think it was a big task for 2026. The President removed flood control.

But he said he will put it in AYUDA, in AICS.

What is your reaction to that? You know, I think, first of all, these flood control projects were temporarily put on hold. Over the past, I don't know, so many years, this is still 2017, it was temporarily put on hold because

many of the projects we see either ghost or substandard. Or insertions. Well, whether insertion or not, as long as it's ghost or not, or substandard, it means you wasted the money of the people. Right?

You wasted it or you stole it. And that's better off being used at least for the direct help our fellow countrymen. I think that's why he said that 60 billion should be brought to the PhilHealth, that's a paradise. For Zero Balance Billing, that's direct.

No one will steal there because that's a direct subsidy to our fellow countrymen. But the Congress itself, they just want to put it in AICS or AYUDA. The one that was removed from the DPWH flood control project.

What is your comment on that?

I will not comment on that. But what the President wanted to happen when he told me, zero flood control, remove that from the budget. What he really wants, the money that he thinks if he leaves it there, it will be stolen again,

it will go to programs that will not be stolen because it is directly to the people. Can we not put ourselves in more danger then, that the flood control for 2026 is already zero budget? I think what I will do now is to ensure that the non-compliant standards or substandards that we have seen all over, we will fix it. Mayor, you are a local government executive, a politician. Do you have a comment on allocating the money for the relief money was removed from the DPWH flood control projects. I favor that.

Don't hold on to the congressmen or lawmakers. Just give it to the DSWD. And it's up to the DSWD to take care of the local government. Anyway, we have a database. We have what we call the National Household Targeting System. We know who will be given.

Unlike what they did last year and before the elections, they used the aid money as election fund. They haven't become transparent yet. What's important here is that we are all transparent and give it to the right agency and let the agency like the SWD manage it. They shouldn't have to know.

Secretary, you're already in a mess, we're still on flood control projects. Palsada, Eskwelahan, Hospital, bridge, you're not there yet. How is that?

To be honest, I don't know. I don't know what the next steps are. But we're here, we need to do our job. But I believe that the need for DPWH will not change. This needs to be complete overall. I believe that the need for DPWH should not be a change, it should be a complete overhaul. Complete. This is not just a small thing.

The difficult job of Sec Vins is, he is involved in the fraud audit, he and I are together, he also needs to ensure that the infrastructure projects are continuous. That's why it's hard. It's a hard situation. And the worst part is,

he doesn't know who he can trust. Do you know that he's almost alone? He's alone in DPWA. The ones he should bring, he still doesn't have any orders. Today, it's out today.

Finally. I feel sorry for him. But I think what we will try to do is, we will do our job, we will push it. But the important thing here is, we will know, we will answer, we will fix it.

And then the important projects, roads, bridges, gas rooms, we need to fix them.

You didn't regret it, you took on this job?

I regret it, but we can't do anything about it.

We're here, let's help each other.

You're the mayor, be careful what you ask for.

You were put in the ICI. How was that?

It was very difficult because I have a job as a mayor and I also have a job in the ICI. During the hearings, I was already there. I had to go to the field for investigation and we were only there for a short time. This is our second week. It was very difficult.

Honestly, it was very difficult. We were just there and this is our second week. It's hard.

Honestly, it's hard.

Sorry, Mayor. There are criticisms against you.

There are projects, like the Diskaya in Baguio. What is your answer to that? First of all, I was asked to do a third party audit. I said, first, it's 2022 and then I was chosen to go back. I was not chosen to go there. I didn't know that St. Gerard was a disgrace. So, maybe I should investigate a third party.

Is this the tennis court?

But the defect is minor. The placement of pavement, painting, because it's a mess. The rest, the structure is really strong. It's a good thing that it was done. That's why it's a political issue. They are doing destruction. That's why I said, let's do a third-party audit and you will see what really happened there.

They will know that I have nothing to do with it. It's okay. There was no corruption. They are also asking Diskaya because she herself said that in Baguio, you cannot really poor people. Mayor, one more thing. You are DDS. What are you doing there? There are some people who don't like you because Duterte liked you before and there are people who said that Duterte is a masamahal. I'm in the cabinet of that Duterte looks like a very important person. I'm in the cabinet of President Duterte.

We are in the cabinet. We are with the NTF in COVID. Okay. Do you have anything to say? We just worked. You know, Peter's principle. If your work is good, your boss will like you.

You will always be the one to call. You will be close to him because you work in the same manner. We have a new president, we work well together. We have two secretaries and others. And I think that's a credit for the testament to President Marcos. He doesn't have has no such view.

No callers. He has no color. He will invite whoever he thinks can help. And us, Mayor Benji. But politics is being mixed. That's how it is.

What can you say, Judy? We need to get used to it. I'm just ignoring them. I'm just working. I'll just leave them because it's just a distraction. I just don't pay attention to them. Will you also go to flood control projects in Davao?

I heard that they got a big fund.

We will go.

So, this is also a no-callers investigation? We will force all flood control projects all over the Philippines. As long as there are defects, problems, anomalies. Secretary, I am surprised with Bulacan. Because Bryce Hernandez himself said that all projects in Bulacan are substandard. Why did it happen?

Greed.

Greed. So how do you correct that situation now? It's hard to answer that. But to correct that, I think the first step is to be afraid of those who are doing it or who are possibly doing it. The problem here is with Alcantara, Bryce, Mendoza, Hernández, Alcantara,

they are not afraid. Now, I don't know why they are not afraid. Maybe, someone is telling them not to be afraid, but you're not afraid. To make your money look good, you can go to a casino and make 100 million or 200 million. That means you're not afraid. You think it's forever.

That's what needs to change first. Now, all DPWH members need to be afraid that if you do this, whatever happens to Alcantara, Hernandez, and Mendoza, the same thing will happen to you and your family.

Alcantara is now crying. He is afraid for his family.

What is your reaction to that? That is his fault. That is his fault. That is the first thing. And the second thing is, the system needs a complete overhaul.

I've seen a lot of problems and we'll slowly fix the system. But this will change everything. It's necessary. This DPWH is a nightmare, right?

Nightmare.

I haven't seen this in a long time in the government. I haven't seen this in a long time in the government. I haven't seen this in a long time in the government. I haven't seen this.