ACT Teachers Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio on Thursday announced plans to file a House resolution next week calling for a congressional probe into flood control projects in Davao that were flagged for purported irregularities.
Tinio said the resolution will also urge the Commission on Audit (COA), the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), and the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct their own investigations. The lawmaker announced in response to Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte’s challenge for him to visit Davao and ask residents whether they have experienced flooding.
Tinio emphasized that the data highlighting P4.35 billion worth of flood control projects with red flags came directly from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) website and official budget documents, which he and his team merely ‘analyzed and cross-checked.’
‘Congressman Duterte says Davao has nothing to hide. Good. Then he should welcome a full, transparent investigation of all flood control and infrastructure projects in his district. The Filipino people deserve answers about how P4.35 billion in public funds was spent-or mispent,’ he said in a statement.
‘The data I presented showing 80 out of 121 contracts worth P4.35 billion with serious red flags came from the DPWH’s own records, their website, and official budget documents. We simply analyzed and cross-checked what the government’s own data revealed,’ Tinio noted.
Further backing his claims, the Makabayan lawmaker noted that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) also flagged alleged irregularities in Davao City’s flood control projects.
‘The ICI discovered that a flood control project along the Davao River in Matina Gravahan collapsed just eight months after completion in May 2023. According to ICI Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr., they need to investigate whether substandard materials were used or if the cement mixture was incorrect,’ Tinio said.
‘So Congressman Duterte says these projects were inspected and validated by DPWH and COA, yet an inspection team led by Azurin and ICI advisor Mayor Magalong found a collapsed project and is now questioning the materials used and calling for contract reviews and sanctions. Sino ba ang dapat paniwalaan?’ he further asked.
Earlier, Tinio revealed five categories for classifying the red-flagged projects:
Total overlap: Two contracts worth P135.14 million funded construction on identical river sections, with one 2019 project covering a section of the Davao River, while a 2020 project covered the same section plus additional areas
Double funding: Two contracts worth P115.09 million were awarded to different contractors for the same project location (‘revetment along Davao River at the Davao River Bridge upstream section’)
Changed location and shortchanging: Nine contracts worth P484.04 million were implemented at different locations than specified in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), often with significantly reduced coverage. For example, one GAA item allocated P30 million for 375 meters of revetment, but the actual contract covered only 120 meters-a shortfall of 255 meters, while charging P161,250 per meter instead of the budgeted P80,000
Awarded contracts without details: A staggering 62 contracts worth P3.44 billion were awarded without proper specifications (such as exact location and length) in official records, making verification and accountability difficult
Awarded contracts not in GAA: 10 contracts worth P622.57 million were implemented despite having no corresponding line items in the approved national budget
He pointed out that these red flags do not merely point to whether the project exists, but also if they were built in the right locations, built to specifications, if they can withstand flooding, and if the P4.35 billion in public funds ‘was spent properly or pocketed by contractors and corrupt officials.’
‘These are not baseless accusations or political drama. These are documented irregularities in DPWH’s own records involving billions in public funds and contractors with clear political ties to the Duterte family and their allies,’ he said. According to Tinio, the projects’ contractors are firms tied to prominent personalities in politics, such as Alfrego Builders (Senator Bong Go’s half-brother, Alfredo Go), in a joint venture with Rely Construction (P96.5 million), and GENESIS88, whose proprietor, Glenn Escandor, donated to Vice President Sara Duterte’s 2022 campaign.