Dizon, Lopez swap posts in latest Cabinet revamp

President Marcos on Monday swapped the chiefs of the country’s two major infrastructure agencies, returning Vince Dizon to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and transferring Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to accelerate reforms in commuting and infrastructure.

Dizon headed the DOTr from February to September 2025 before moving to the DPWH, while Lopez succeeded him as transportation secretary.

Acting Secretary Lino Cayetano of the Presidential Communications Office said the President was counting on the two officials’ expertise to ease commuting problems and sustain reforms at the public works agency, which has been rocked by a corruption scandal involving flood control projects.

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“We are shifting gears to accelerate reform. Secretary Dizon goes to DOTr to fix the daily commute. Secretary Lopez goes to DPWH to make sure the reforms there last,” Mr. Marcos said in a statement that Cayetano read during a briefing in Malacañang.“All of these, to make government services faster and easier for our countrymen,” the President added.

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Dizon was tasked with eliminating fixers at the Land Transportation Office, fast-tracking mass transportation projects and reducing commuters’ travel time. Lopez will oversee efforts to curb corruption, complete unfinished infrastructure projects and strengthen transparency and accountability at the DPWH.

Cayetano said Marcos wanted the DPWH’s transparency initiatives, efforts to complete stalled projects, and other reforms to become lasting institutional changes.

He denied that the reshuffle was intended to sidestep questions about Dizon’s DPWH appointment, which had lapsed weeks before the reassignment. Under the Administrative Code, a temporary designation in an acting capacity is limited to one year.

“Our President’s basis for all his decisions is what will make our countrymen better. So I don’t see that as a factor in any way,” Cayetano said.

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He also denied that Marcos’ recent survey ratings, which trailed those of Vice President Sara Duterte, prompted the Cabinet changes.

“Our President doesn’t look at daily numbers when it comes to approval ratings,” Cayetano said. “What’s important to our President is what we can do for the good of our countrymen, now and perhaps even more importantly for tomorrow, for the long term.”

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No disruption

Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate finance committee, said the reshuffle would not disrupt the agencies’ proposed 2027 budgets despite coming in the middle of congressional budget deliberations.

“Normally, that’s really a problem because it’s the middle of budget season, but having worked with both Sec. Vince Dizon and Sec. Banoy Lopez, I’m quite familiar with both of them,” Ejercito told reporters.

“I don’t think it will be a difficult transition because I am familiar with both of them,” he said, expressing hope that Lopez would continue the DPWH reforms launched after the flood control controversy.

Senate plenary deliberations on the 2027 national budget are scheduled to begin on Nov. 23 and continue through the first week of December.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson likewise said the leadership change should not affect the agencies’ budget proposals.

“Secretary Vince is familiar with the DOTr because he came from there, right? As for Secretary Banoy, I think he is capable of handling the DPWH,” Lacson said.

He described the reassignment as the President’s prerogative and said it would not derail the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation into alleged ghost infrastructure and illegal reclamation projects in Taguig. The evidence was nearly complete, he added.

Transport groups divided

Dizon’s return to the DOTr drew criticism from transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston). Its president, Mody Floranda, accused the administration of pursuing policies that would worsen public transportation.

“There is nothing to celebrate about the return of Vince Dizon to the DOTr, who when he took office continued and intensified the privatization of public transportation services and worsened the livelihoods of drivers and operators,” Floranda said.

He criticized what he called the “rotten and trashy World Bank jeepney phaseout program,” the privatization of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, and other policies he said favored business and foreign interests.

Floranda said Piston would stage protests against the reassignment.

Transport group Manibela, however, welcomed Dizon’s return. Its chair, Mar Valbuena, said the group supported programs benefiting public and private transport stakeholders but would remain critical of policies contrary to public welfare.

“We are united in the good programs of the DOTr, but we will also remain fiercely critical of those that are not in line with the welfare of the people, especially in transportation,” Valbuena said.

Infrastructure experience

Dizon previously headed the Bases Conversion and Development Authority from 2016 to 2021, overseeing projects including New Clark City and Clark International Airport’s new passenger terminal. He also served as a presidential adviser and deputy chief implementer of the government’s COVID-19 response.

He moved to the DPWH in September 2025 following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan amid investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

During Dizon’s tenure, authorities filed 35 court cases involving alleged anomalous flood control projects, including 31 before the Sandiganbayan and four before regional trial courts.

Among the major cases was a plunder complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against former Speaker Martin Romualdez, former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and two other accused over alleged kickbacks exceeding P7 billion.

Lopez, a certified public accountant and lawyer, previously held senior DOTr positions overseeing procurement, finance and infrastructure projects. He also served as chief of staff to the transportation secretary, LTO executive director and officer in charge executive director of the Toll Regulatory Board.

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He became acting transportation secretary in September 2025 after Dizon’s transfer to the DPWH. —WITH REPORTS FROM ISABELLE PECHAY, DIANNE SAMPANG AND INQUIRER RESEARCH INQ