DPWH welcomes lifestyle check

"We welcome the probe."

This was the reaction of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials to the announcement by the Office of the Ombudsman that a lifestyle check would be pursued at the agency.

DPWH Assistant Secretary Rafael Yabut said the DPWH top management will continue to provide support to efforts by the Ombudsman against graft in the government service, particularly in the DPWH.

Even as Yabut expressed support to the Ombudsman’s anti-graft campaign, other employees of the agency pointed out that some individuals could use the anti-graft body to destabilize the DPWH.

"The Ombudsman is being used to destabilize reforms being pursued in the agency," they said while accusing a certain DPWH official of financing a demolition job, hoping to replace Acting Secretary Florante Soriquez.

Yabut explained that Soriquez’s new policies in transparency and project fast-tracking has threatened "parochial interests" of some officials in the department. He said, however, that most officials support the new directions being pursued by the DPWH chief.

DPWH insiders reported that the ongoing re-organization at the agency, principally affecting top positions may have caused the demolition job against Soriquez even as they hope the new policy direction of using information technology to serve as backbone in the transparency campaign will not be abandoned as pressure mounts on Soriquez to stop the reshuffle at the top.

The re-organization being pushed by Soriquez should have been done a long time ago, they pointed out.

"Appointing an insider to head the agency was a very good decision by President Arroyo," they said, adding that an insider will always know better how to make a correct mix in the organization that will deliver on the marching orders of the Chief Executive.

They said Soriquez was very good choice considering "he has been with the agency for overty 30 years now."

Soriquez promised Mrs. Arroyo he will fast-track implementation of projects, recognizing the projects’ importance to the national economic development, even as he pledged to put back dignity in service in the agency and take steps to regain its credibility and get back public support in the exercise of its mandate.

The new DPWH head took steps to put at maximum top management people’s expertise and talents, re-arranging assignments according to people’s expertise.