Dizon sacks Camarines Sur district engineer over road crash
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince B. Dizon (Photo courtesy of DPWH)
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon sacked a district engineer in Camarines Sur over a road crash that left at least three people injured in Del Gallego town.
For Dizon, the road crash would have been prevented had the 1st District Engineering Office placed the road safety protocol that include appropriate road safety warning signs and traffic safety devices.
Aside from the top official of the 1st District Engineering Office, Dizon said they will also hold the contractor accountable.
The incident happened in Barangay Magais where a road construction project is ongoing.
“Effective yesterday (August 5), I already replaced the District Engineer of 1st District Engineering Office of Camarines Sur because we need to make our people accountable,” said Dizon.
The relief of the district engineer is contained in a memorandum, “You are hereby relieved of your duties as District Engineer of the Camarines Sur 1** District Engineering Office, effective immediately, and directed to report to the Office of the Regional Director, Regional Office No. V, for the assignment of your duties and responsibilities.”
“To ensure the uninterrupted delivery of public service, you are further directed to conduct an inventory, accomplish, complete, and sign all pending documents and deliverables, and formally turn over all official records, papers, and properties in your custody to the appropriate office,” it added.
Dizon said the DPWH has a standard road safety practice that must be strictly observed and based on the road crash that happened, such policy was not properly implemented, or worse, ignored.
He said all regional offiials of the DPWH were already directed even before to be very strict in implementing the basic road safety standards in areas where projects are ongoing.
“We have existing road safety protocol and this must be strictly observed because in some cases, lives are at stake if these safety measures are ignored,” said Dizon.