MANILA, Philippines — Two officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Pampanga have been relieved of their posts following the death of a 25-year-old man who was swept into a flooded, open drainage canal along the Fil-Am Friendship Highway in Angeles City.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the immediate relief of Aser S. Mallari, officer-in-charge of the Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office, and Agustin R. Dagsaan Jr., officer-in-charge of the assistant district engineer’s office.
According to the memorandum cited by Inquirer and GMA News, the officials were removed from their posts over their failure to comply with required safety standards, among other infractions.
The order took effect immediately.
However, the two officials were instructed to complete an inventory of pending documents and formally turn over their responsibilities to ensure government operations continue without disruption.
The fatal fall that triggered the action
The disciplinary action followed the death of Reiner Novero, who fell into an open drainage canal along the Fil-Am Friendship Highway in Barangay Cutcut, Angeles City, on August 28.
According to the earlier Inquirer report, CCTV footage showed Novero walking along the highway sidewalk while carrying an umbrella at around 2:04 p.m. when he fell into the canal and was carried away by the powerful floodwater current.
Two witnesses reportedly attempted to rescue him but were unable to reach him because of the strength of the current.
Search-and-rescue personnel later recovered Novero’s body approximately two kilometers downstream, beneath a bridge in Barangay Sto. Domingo. He was brought to Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center, where he was declared dead.
Philstar likewise reported that the 25-year-old was walking through a flooded sidewalk when he suddenly disappeared after apparently encountering the open drainage area hidden beneath the floodwaters.
Why the DPWH officials were relieved
GMA News reported that the DPWH memorandum specifically cited the officials’ failure to implement the required road-safety measures along the highway.
The department said the action was consistent with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that safety and quality standards are followed in government infrastructure projects and that officials who neglect their duties are held accountable.
The incident has consequently intensified scrutiny over the safety of open drainage systems, particularly during periods of heavy rain and flooding when canals can become difficult—or impossible—for pedestrians to see.
The danger is particularly serious when fast-moving floodwater covers an uncovered canal or manhole, effectively turning what appears to be a passable walkway into a potentially deadly hazard.
The tragedy comes amid widespread flooding
Novero’s death occurred during a period of intense southwest monsoon rains that caused widespread flooding across Central Luzon.
Inquirer previously reported that flooding affected hundreds of barangays in Pampanga, with water reaching several meters in some low-lying areas. Novero was among those who died in flood-related incidents across Central Luzon during the period.
The circumstances surrounding his death have therefore raised a broader public-safety question: Were adequate warning signs, barriers, covers or other protective measures in place to prevent pedestrians from entering a dangerous drainage area?
The DPWH’s decision to immediately relieve the two district engineering officials indicates that authorities are treating compliance with safety requirements as a serious responsibility.
Not the same as a criminal conviction
Importantly, the current DPWH action should not be interpreted as a criminal conviction.
The reports say Mallari and Dagsaan were relieved of their respective posts because of cited safety-standard failures. The available reports do not state that either official has been criminally convicted in connection with Novero’s death.
That distinction matters as authorities determine whether additional administrative or legal action may follow.
A wider warning on infrastructure safety
The Pampanga case also comes as government agencies face heightened scrutiny over safety compliance in infrastructure projects.
In a separate Angeles City case earlier this year, the collapse of a nine-story building prompted investigations into construction and occupational safety violations. DOLE later upheld more than P11 million in liabilities and administrative fines against the project’s contractor and owner over labor and occupational safety violations.
While that building-collapse case is separate from Novero’s death, both incidents have placed renewed attention on the importance of enforcing safety standards before tragedies occur—not only after lives are lost.
For residents navigating flood-prone roads, the latest incident is also a stark reminder that floodwater can conceal open canals, manholes and other hazards.
And for government agencies responsible for public infrastructure, the message from the DPWH action is increasingly clear: safety measures cannot be treated as optional, especially when the public is exposed to dangerous conditions.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
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