JUST WHEN SECRETARY Vince Dizon is about to commence its investigation into the allegations of the local government claiming flawed infrastructure designs caused massive flooding in Quezon City, fire gutted down the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in Barangay Pinyahan.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection – National Capital Region (BFP-NCR), the fire that started at around 12:39 pm (October 22) quickly spread, reaching the third alarm by 12:56 pm. After 38 minutes,
firefighters had it “under control.”
By 1:49 pm, the bureau declared it “fire out.”
According to BFP-NCR, an exploded computer unit inside the Materials Testing Division under the DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards (DPWH-BRS) office caused the fire.
DPWH-BRS is tasked to conduct research, studies, pilot testing, and formulation of policies for government infrastructure projects.
A few hours later, the DPWH issued a sweeping statement claiming “no documents related to the ongoing corruption probe were burned.”
However, the Office of the Ombudsman doesn’t seem convinced even as it ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to step into the investigation to determine whether or not the incident was deliberately done amid the ongoing investigation.
Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Commissioner and former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said during a Senate hearing, “I hope it is not arson.”
“As per record now, the burning in Quezon City does not involve flood control projects but I did have a meeting with COA and I told them you have to secure all records of the COA,” ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes said.
“There is the tendency for criminals to burn down the office,” he added.
The ICI previously admitted receiving reports of “widespread destruction and tampering of official documents” by some DPWH officials in connection with anomalous flood control projects.
