The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged four nonexistent flood control projects in Bulacan worth more than P350 million, as it filed additional audit reports against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and their private contractors before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
According to COA, the said projects were under the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO).
Below is the list of ghost projects and their respective contractors based on a statement released by the commission on Thursday:
Construction of Flood Control Structure (Revetment), Purok 1 to Purok 2, Barangay San Roque in Baliuag, amounting to P92,688,858.48 (Syms Construction Trading)
Construction of Flood Control Structure along Angat River at Barangay Taal in Pulilan, amounting to P92,710,206.94 (Syms Construction Trading)
Construction of Riverwall at Barangay Pagala, Sta. 00+910 to Sta. 01+310 in Baliuag, amounting to P96,499,500.70 (Triple 8 Construction and Supply, Inc.)
The projects were inspected on September 24, 17, 15, and 23, respectively-all of which were found to be nonexistent.
The parties found to be reportedly liable for all four projects are as follows, according to COA:
Henry C. Alcantara-District Engineer
Sally N. Santos-SYMS Construction Trading
Brice Ericson D. Hernandez-Assistant District Engineer
Ernesto Galang-Planning and Design Section Chief
John Michael E. Ramos-Engineer
Lemuel Ephraim SD. Roque-Project Engineer
Jolo Mari V. Tayao-Engineer
Jaypee D. Mendoza-Construction Section Chief
Irene DC. Otingco-Engineer
Joshua Blitz S. Roxas-Engineer
Bernardo Villafuerte-Engineer
Raymond G. Tolentino-Engineer
Lorenzo A. Pagtalunan-Engineer
Elmer F. Arellano-Engineer
Wilfredo M. Natividad-Triple 8 Construction and Supply, Inc.
However, the commission clarified that the initial list of liable persons ‘is not final and may expand as the audit progresses, or new information becomes available.’
The COA stated that these individuals may face graft and corruption charges for possible violations of Republic Act No. 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; malversation and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code; as well as violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 and the Government Procurement Reform Act.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on September 23, Alcantara denied involvement in ghost flood control projects, explaining that Hernandez and Mendoza were behind those operations.
Alcantara said he used and awarded projects to in-house contractors but told the two other officials not to do ghost projects.
In the same hearing, Hernandez likewise named three politicians in Bulacan who allegedly got kickbacks from the province’s infrastructure projects.
Among them were Bulacan (2nd District) Representative Augustina Dominique ‘Tina’ Pancho, Bulacan (1st District) Rep. Danny Domingo, and former Bulacan (5th District Representative) and now Guiguinto mayor Ambrosio ‘Boy’ Cruz Jr. as the ones who allegedly got a cut from the projects in the province’s first district engineering office.
Currently, COA has submitted 17 fraud audit reports to relevant agencies-nine to the Office of the Ombudsman and eight to ICI, including the four additional reports on the flood control projects mentioned above.