Cleaning up the DPWH mess

“This is a battle between what is right and what is wrong,” said the beleaguered public works and highways undersecretary, Florante Soriquez, who is accused by two senior DPWH officials of demanding a 15-percent kickback from district engineers for projects carried out in their areas.

Since Soriquez raised the issue of right and wrong, he should stand by it by leaving the DPWH. It is the honorable thing to do since President Arroyo has named the national security adviser, Hermogenes Ebdane, to replace him as acting DPWH secretary. Mrs. Arroyo has also ordered the Presidential Antigraft Commission (PAGC) to investigate the graft allegations, which Soriquez has denied.