CEBU CITY-The Office of the Ombudsman is set to scrutinize some P60 billion worth of flood-control projects implemented in Cebu over the past six years, as Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla raised questions over whether the projects were properly designed and executed or were tainted by corruption.
Remulla said the amount was based on the office’s initial accounting of flood-control spending in Cebu, with a significant portion going to the province’s Seventh District and about 25 percent to a single contractor.
‘That should be a lot of money to control the flooding,’ Remulla said during a news conference here.
However, he noted that flooding remained a recurring problem in the province, particularly after recent rains, prompting the office to examine whether the projects were technically deficient or whether corruption was involved.
‘We have to look at what’s happening. Is it the design? Is it the execution? Or is it just corruption?’ Remulla said.
He said the investigation would cover flood-control projects in the province, as well as Cebu City, including projects affecting several local governments.
The Ombudsman for the Visayas is expected to file cases soon, Remulla said, although he stressed that the agency would first have to establish sufficient evidence.
‘We always go by the evidence,’ he said, adding that the office could not simply file cases or order people jailed without strong evidence that could withstand scrutiny in court.
Ghost projects, substandard work
REMULLA said the Ombudsman would also verify reports of alleged ghost flood-control projects, including one in barangay Singsing in Balamban that was being disputed by a former congressman.
The agency will use digital tools and project coordinates to determine whether projects actually exist at their reported locations and whether the structures comply with their specifications.
He said investigators would also examine the possibility of projects being counted more than once or locations being altered in project records.
‘We will look at all possible violations,’ Remulla said.
‘So it’s possible that it’s a ghost. But we will have to check and verify and validate,’ he added.
The investigation will also look into whether flood-control structures were built according to contract specifications.
Remulla cited sheet piling as an example, saying the national specification calls for 14-meter sheet piles in certain flood-control structures. He said investigators would determine whether the specified depth was appropriate and whether contractors actually complied with it.
He recalled findings from investigations in Bulacan where 14-meter specifications were allegedly reduced to four meters, leaving a substantial portion of the required structure unbuilt.
For Cebu, he said investigators would similarly examine whether projects were built according to their contracts rather than relying solely on what could be seen on the surface.
Contractors, bidding under scrutiny
ASIDE from project implementation, the Ombudsman will examine the contractors involved in the projects, possible rigged bidding and the alleged practice of awarding contracts without competitive bidding.
Remulla said lifestyle checks would also be conducted on district engineers and other Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers, although he cautioned against focusing exclusively on government personnel.
Contractors would be examined alongside government officials as part of the investigation, he said.
The Ombudsman will also look into the ‘no-bidding phenomenon’ and possible rigging of procurement processes.
Remulla acknowledged that investigating flood-control projects is complicated because of the volume and technical nature of government contracts.
He said artificial intelligence could assist investigators in reviewing documents, but could not completely replace human examination of contracts and evidence.
‘Proving our cases is always possible. But it’s not as easy as it seems. It’s easy to conclude. But to prove is harder,’ Remulla said.
20 more lawyers
TO strengthen the agency’s investigative and prosecutorial capacity in the region, Remulla said he had committed to add 20 lawyers to the Ombudsman Visayas office.
The lawyers would be involved in prosecution, fact-finding and preliminary investigations.
He said strengthening the regional office was necessary given the volume of cases and the need to build evidence-based cases before filing them in court.
Remulla emphasized that the Ombudsman should not be used to ‘weaponize’ investigations against individuals.
‘What we want to happen is that cases are filed because there is evidence against those who we go up against,’ he said.
Greater transparency
REMULLA also reiterated his push for legislation requiring greater transparency in government transactions from the barangay level up to national agencies.
He said government bidding processes should be digitally recorded and made accessible to the public, including through digital platforms that would allow citizens to monitor government contracts and transactions.
The Ombudsman said he had already discussed the proposed transparency measures with the Speaker and the Senate President.
He said the proposed reforms would cover government hiring, salaries, contracts, permits and business and licensing transactions at the local-government level.
Remulla argued that existing digital technology, including mobile phones, closed-circuit television cameras, artificial intelligence and the internet, could make greater transparency possible without requiring prohibitively expensive systems.
He said transparency should not stop at national government agencies but should extend to local governments, where corruption could also begin.
Conflict of interest
BEYOND implementation of flood control projects, Remulla said the Ombudsman would investigate other government programs and alleged schemes involving the misuse of public funds.
He identified conflict of interest as one of the agency’s major concerns, particularly situations where public officials and contractors have overlapping interests.
He said the Ombudsman would examine instances where politicians and contractors are closely linked, noting that public office should not become a means of serving private interests.
‘We have to start with conflict of interest. Everywhere in the country. We have to return to decency,’ Remulla said.
Remulla added the Ombudsman’s broader objective was not simply to pursue individual cases but to help restore public confidence in government and create a culture where corruption carries a greater certainty of punishment.
He said the agency expects the next three years to be focused heavily on filing, investigating and prosecuting cases involving corruption.
‘It’s not about targeting people. It’s about targeting a change in our society,’ Remulla said.
For Cebu, however, the immediate focus will be determining what happened to the billions of pesos spent on flood-control projects-and whether the spending delivered the protection it was supposed to provide.