The filling of charges at the Office of the Ombudsman in violation to the Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act); Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (Malversation of Public Funds), in relation to Articles 171 of the Revised Penal Code; Republic Act No. 9184; and other related laws were led by Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday.

The 20 officials of Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office who face charges before the Ombudsman include: former District Engineer Henry Alcantara; former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez; Construction Section Chief Jaypee Mendoza at John Michael Ramos; Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang; OIC Maintenance Section Chief Lorenzo Pagtalunan and Jaime Hernandez; Quality Assurance Section Chief Norberto Santos; Administrative Section Chief Floralyn Simbulan; Finance Section Juanito Mendoza; Budget Unit Head Roberto Roque; Procurement Unit Head Benedict Matawaran; Cashier Christina Mae Pineda; Project Engineers Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Jaron Laus, Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Benex Francisco; and Jolo Mari Tayao.

Private contractors charged are Sally Santos ng SYMS Construction Trading; Mark Allan Arevalo ng Wawao Builders; Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando with the beneficial owner Cezarah Rowena Discaya of St. Timothy Construction Corporation; and Robert Imperio and IM Construction Corporation.

As Dizon filed the cases, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr created an independent commission on infrastructure which will examine irregularities in projects. The commission, whose members have yet to be named, can file charges against those guilty before the Office of the President, Ombudsman and other agencies.

Dizon said these are just the first cases that will be filed before the Ombudsman as charges are expected to be filed related to the anomalous projects with the government under his department.

"We will all get the justice that we all deserve as Filipinos. The President has assured us of that, and this is proof of that. Within 10 days, or less than 10 days since I was appointed at the DPWH, the president told me to fast track and here we are now, we are fast tracking and this is just the first, there are more cases coming," he said.

He described the cases as ''open and shut'' and he confident there would be probable cause against them.

In a TV interview before he led the filing of cases against DPWH officials and contractors, Dizon described the amount lost to graft and corruption as huge.

He was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways after Senator Panfilo Lacson Jr revealed there were projects that were finished but continued to receive government funds and projects supposedly funded but have yet to start.

Three Bulacan engineers--Alcantara, Hernandez and Mendoza-- and the Discaya couple Cezarah and Pacifico are at the center of the controversy after they appeared at hearings in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Dizon also encouraged the public to report any anomalous or suspicious DPWH projects in their community to help the government in making the corrupt officials accountable. Robina Asido/DMS