In the deeply divided Philippine Politics where groups are identified by their political loyalties as Dilawans (now Pinklawans), DDS or Loyalists, it is almost unthinkable for a prominent personality to be able to move on from his association with a previous administration and occupy a sensitive role in the next.
But Vivencio “Vince” Dizon, the newly appointed Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who was plucked from his previous position as Department of Transportation chief to handle a crisis hounding the administration, did just that.
I first met Vince in 2015 during the Presidential Campaign when I served as member of the advance team for my friend then Mayor of Davao City, Rody Duterte, during the nationwide visitations and political consultations.
Lean and mild-mannered with a soft voice, Vince Dizon served as political consultant to then Vice Presidential Candidate Alan Peter Cayetano in the 2016 elections.
Right after the Presidential elections won by then Mayor Rody Duterte, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects, called the “Build, Build, Build” Program.
Before that he was Chief of Staff for former Senator Edgardo Angara during the Joseph Estrada Presidency then Undersecretary for Political Affairs under former President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III.
So, literally, Vince transitioned smoothly from Jeep Ni Erap to Dilawan, to DDS and now Loyalists without being mired in the toxic politics of these groups.
Without being offensive, I would call Vince Dizon a “Political Eunuch” who served the leader who engaged his services and did the job expected of him.
Today, he steps forward as the “Knight in Shining Armor” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the administration is hounded by issues of corruption especially in the department which he now heads.
Vince is facing a tough task.
The corruption in the DPWH did not just happen during this administration because it developed through the years and was later perfected to make it institutional.
Even at the planning stage of the projects, costings had already been adjusted to ensure that everybody involved gets a “fair share.”
The endless excavation and repairs of still serviceable national highways to the construction of center islands without any designed functionality to sub-standard road construction and now ghost flood control projects were the manifestations of this deeply entrenched corruption in the DPWH.
The “Art of Corruption” had been perfected in the DPWH for so long with the support of legislators, auditors, local officials and contractors.
This is the daunting challenge that Vince Dizon faces.
Dismantling institutional corruption is a daunting task and Vince’s success depends largely on the trust and support of President Marcos.
Given that, I am confident that this silent worker will certainly make a dent and leave a mark.
I will not be surprised if this “Political Eunuch” will sail on to the next administration in another key role because he is simply a worker and a performer.
Good luck and may God bless you on your new task, Sec. Vince Dizon.
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