A criminology expert appeals to prosecutors to use Department Circular No. 20 to actively investigate and convict corrupt officials in flood control projects. This is part of broader efforts against infrastructure corruption that has caused significant harm to Filipinos' lives. Such action is crucial to break the cycle of impunity.
The Office of the Ombudsman is working to investigate and indict high-level corrupt politicians, government officials, and business contractors. Several mid-level officers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been arrested, and the notorious contractor Sarah Discaya has surrendered to the police. The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) named senators and congressmen, handed over evidence to the Ombudsman, but some members resigned due to lack of powers and resources.
Flood control corruption has led to deaths during the rainy season, villages submerged by water, and children swept away by currents that could have been prevented with proper river dikes. These investigations involve senators and congressmen from across the political spectrum, threatening the foundations of the Marcos administration.
To combat this, the Department of Justice (DOJ) must utilize Department Circular No. 20, crafted by former secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla. It establishes guidelines for criminal case investigations, requiring prosecutors to actively participate in evidence gathering alongside the PNP and NBI. A prima facie case with reasonable certainty of conviction must exist before filing in court.
This empowers regional prosecutors to probe substandard and ghost projects across the archipelago. Cases involving officials with salary grade 26 go to the Ombudsman, while others fall under prosecutorial authority. An appeal is made to over 2,000 prosecutors to act with integrity, using DC 20 to convict the corrupt—even if they are padrinos—to achieve true justice against infrastructure corruption in roads, irrigation, schools, and hospitals.
