Mindoro Road Dike Project Deemed Unfixable Due to Defects

MANILA, Philippines — The allegedly substandard P289.4 million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro—which served as the basis for the graft case pending against former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and other Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division—would be impossible to fix. This was the opinion of former DPWH Secretary Dennis Dizon, who said the project was already in a "state of disrepair" and "beyond salvation." Dizon explained that the project, which was intended to improve road access and provide flood control in Naujan, suffered from fundamental structural defects from the outset. He added that attempting to repair it now would be "impractical and a waste of money." The former secretary’s statement came amid the ongoing graft case filed against Co and other DPWH officials, who are accused of favoring Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. in the awarding of the contract for the project. Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. has been accused of submitting allegedly falsified documents and substandard construction materials for the project. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has yet to rule on the case, which could have significant implications for public infrastructure projects and the fight against corruption in the Philippines.