DPWH chief reshuffles 7 Bicol district engineers

By Manuel T. Ugalde

LEGAZPI CITY --- At least seven of the 15 district engineers of the Department of Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Bicol region have been reshuffled and given new assignments, the agency’s regional director bared recently.

DPWH Bicol Director Virgilio Eduarte said the district engineers who were reshuffled by virtue of a special order dated Jan. 18, 2021 issued by DPWH Sec. Mark Villar are:

Simon Arias, Albay 1st District Engineering Office (DEO); Danilo Villa, Albay 2nd DEO; Nestor Gorimbao, Camarines Sur 4th DEO; Rebecca Roces, Camarines Sur 3rd DEO; Gemma Timbang, Camarines Sur 5th DEO; Rainero Zerda of Masbate 2nd DEO; Romeo Doloiras, Masbate 3rd DEO; and Warren Azotea, assistant District Engineer of Albay 2nd DEO.

Eduarte clarified that contrary to speculations that the officials were sacked or relieved from their posts, the movement of the district engineers was a mere reshuffle.

He explained that Arias and Zerda swapped assignments, same with Gorimbao and Timbang, Roces and Doloiras, while Danilo Villa has no specific assignment yet. Villa is succeeded by his assistant Azotea, who reportedly feigned innocence of his designation, a source disclosed.

Last week, presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced that 14 DPWH district engineers have been ordered dismissed from service pursuant to President Duterte’s campaign against graft and corruption. Of the 14 unnamed dismissed district engineers cited by Roque, not one from Bicol was included, the source added.

To recall, President Duterte named at least nine congressmen who were allegedly involved in DPWH graft and corruption based from the report of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. None of the Bicolano lawmakers was mentioned by Duterte.