Duterte to hold Cabinet members accountable over failed, delayed projects

July 8, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned his Cabinet secretaries, especially Department of Public Works and Highway Secretary Mark Villar, that they would be held accountable for any failed or delayed government project.

"So I would like to call the attention of the secretaries, especially Secretary Villar, that if there is any slippage of any work of any kind by the national government, if you delay or if I see tomorrow, beginning tomorrow... you are all invited to see me in Malacañang," Duterte said in his speech in Davao City during the opening ceremony of the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week on Friday.

"I’m exacting now something of like this. If your project failed, I will hold the Secretary responsible," he added.

Duterte said he would cancel the contract of any public works project if there is delay or slippage and reiterated that he prefers Swiss challenge in government projects.

"If there is a failed highway there, the city engineer and the project engineer or whatever, if there is delay or slippage, they call it, and it is about 20 percent perfect, you are out. I will cancel the contract- I want Swiss challenge instead. Swiss challenge, you produce the bridge and I’ll pay you. If you do not publish it in accordance with the specs, as my specifications, I will not pay you," he said.

He said the country would not progress if officials would not stop corruption as he asked the public to report to the government any allegation of corruption.

"If it is something that ails, that bugs you because it involves graft and corruption or government is not doing what it’s supposed to do, just bring it to my attention and I will act on it immediately. Especially corruption," he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS