By CESAR JOLITO III

Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez called on Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan to take a leave of absence as the agency comes under scrutiny for allegedly failed and substandard flood control projects across the country.

“Out of delicadeza, and to help preserve the integrity of any inquiry, I respectfully urge the DPWH secretary to take a leave of absence while the investigation is ongoing,” Benitez said in a social media post.

He made the statement following President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s stern warning during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, where the chief executive blamed poor infrastructure for widespread flooding in the wake of tropical cyclones “Crising,” “Dante” and “Emong.”

Benitez emphasized that accountability demands impartiality.

“When there are questions about a company’s finances, you don’t ask the accountant to audit himself. You bring in someone independent to find the truth,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed that the same logic applies in government investigations, as “the implementor should not be the evaluator.”

Benitez believes such a move will not only uphold the credibility of the investigation but also help rebuild public confidence in government infrastructure programs.

“This simple act of good faith will go a long way toward restoring public trust and ensuring that the process is impartial and credible,” he added.

In his SONA last week, Marcos revealed that several flood control projects were either poorly constructed, collapsed shortly after completion, or did not exist at all.

“Someone must be held accountable,” Marcos said.

The President directed DPWH to submit a complete list of flood control projects completed in recent years from all regions.

He also promised that the list would be made public and subjected to an audit and performance evaluation./CJ, WDJ