THE Commission on Audit (COA) has filed four additional fraud audit reports before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), exposing cases of fully paid but non-existent or substandard flood control projects in Bulacan.
According to state auditors, the new filings involve projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO), ranging from P69 million to nearly P97 million.
The findings point to what the agency describes as another set of ‘ghost projects’ that were marked as completed and fully paid by the government.
COA flagged two projects awarded to SYMS Construction Trading: a P92.69-million flood control structure in Barangay San Roque, Baliuag, and another P92.71-million revetment project along Angat River in Barangay Taal, Pulilan.
Inspectors reported that the San Roque structure did not exist at the approved site, while an alternative location pointed out by DPWH officials contained a substandard facility that did not meet specifications.
For the Pulilan project, auditors found only an abandoned slope protection structure that predated the contract period.
Despite the irregularities and the absence of critical documents required under COA Circular No. 2009-001, the DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO had fully paid SYMS Construction.
‘This is another ghost project,’ state auditors said.
Among those initially held ‘liable’ are District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara, Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson D. Hernandez, Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang, Engineer John Michael E. Ramos, Project Engineer Lemuel Ephraim SD. Roque, Engineer Jolo Mari V. Tayao.
SYMS owner Sally Santos was also found to be liable.
Aside from SYMS, state auditors found a P69.48-million riverbank protection project awarded to Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc. as anomalous.
The approved site in Plaridel showed no signs of a flood control structure, while the alternate site identified by DPWH contained an incomplete facility that fell short of approved standards.
‘Based on these findings, COA takes this to mean that the fully paid flood control project does not exist,’ the agency said.
Aside from Alcantara, Hernandez, and Galang, Construction Section Chief Jaypee D. Mendoza, Ramos, Engineer Irene DC. Otingco, Engineer Joshua Blitz S. Roxas, Engineer Bernardo Villafuerte, and Eumir S. Villanueva of Topnotch Catalyst Builders, Inc. as well as the company’s officers and members of the board, ‘were tagged as liable.’
The audit also covered a P96.5-million riverwall construction project in Barangay Pagala, Baliuag, contracted to Triple 8 Construction and Supply Inc. Similar to the other cases, the approved site showed no structure, while the alternate site presented a facility ‘drastically’ below plan specifications.
The project had nonetheless been fully paid, with COA citing the absence of supporting validation documents as another red flag.
Triple 8’s officers and members of the board, led by Wilfredo M. Natividad, along with Alcantara, Hernandez, Ramos, Galang, and Mendoza were found liable.
COA said individuals found liable may face graft and corruption charges under Republic Act 3019, malversation and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code, as well as violations of procurement laws and COA regulations.
‘The initial list of liable persons is not final and may expand as the audit progresses, or new information becomes available,’ the COA said.
To date, COA has filed a total of 17 Fraud Audit Reports: nine with the Office of the Ombudsman and eight with the ICI, including the four new cases.