The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has relieved the officer-in-charge of its Iloilo City District Engineering Office, a day after former Senate President Franklin M. Drilon publicly questioned his qualifications and pressed the agency to act.

In a statement, Drilon said he received a memorandum from the Office of the Secretary reassigning engineer Roy Pacanan to the Office of the Director of DPWH-6, effective immediately.

The memorandum, according to Drilon, cited Pacanan’s failure to meet the required five years of supervisory experience for the post, as prescribed under the 2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions issued by the Civil Service Commission.

“We thank Secretary Vince Dizon for his immediate response,” Drilon said. “This shows that the Department is listening and prepared to act when questions are raised about qualifications and accountability.”

He added that the swift action “sends a clear message that merit, not political accommodation, governs appointments in the Department.”

The reassignment followed Drilon’s press briefing with Iloilo media, where he raised concerns over Pacanan’s appointment and called on the DPWH to enforce his removal.

During the same briefing, Drilon also urged the Office of the Ombudsman to expedite its investigation into approximately P1.4 billion worth of flood control projects in the city.

“For Mr. Roy Pacanan, mahiya ka naman. Lumipat ka na. Hindi ka naman qualified dito, ayon sa Civil Service,” Drilon said, invoking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for accountability during his recent State of the Nation Address.

Drilon questioned the cost of the flood control projects, saying he could not justify the P1.4-billion allocation based on projects he had seen elsewhere.

“I don’t see anything to justify that amount. None of the flood control projects I’ve seen elsewhere cost as much as P1.4 billion,” he said, noting that the President had also flagged concerns during a previous visit to Iloilo.

Drilon said he hopes the Ombudsman would demonstrate the same urgency shown by the DPWH leadership.

“The public expects no less when billions of pesos in flood control funds are involved,” he said.IMT