By Melvin C. Gascon
Reports of “ghost and very substandard” flood control projects have surfaced in Nueva Vizcaya and at least three other provinces, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said on Thursday.
Speaking before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Dizon raised alarms over possible government losses amounting to trillions of pesos with more than 100 complaints of anomalous projects lodged nationwide in just two weeks.
“We have received reports from La Union, Oriental Mindoro, Nueva Vizcaya, Eastern Samar, and some areas in Mindanao…” he told senators.
“We can see that this issue is not just centered in Bulacan, it seems that these are in the whole country,” Dizon added.
Bulacan ‘Most Notorious’
Dizon’s disclosure followed earlier claims by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who had described Bulacan as the “most notorious” province for irregularities in flood control projects, allegedly run by a “well-organized syndicate.”
The DPWH chief said the agency is now working with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), created by President Marcos Jr., to investigate the scope of the anomalies.
He said initial criminal cases have been filed against Wawao Builders, SYMS Construction Trading, and St. Timothy Construction Corp.
Trillions in Losses
Pressed by senators on the potential financial damage, Dizon admitted the government may have lost up to trillions of pesos.
He explained that warranty claims and performance bonds alone could amount to “tens of billions to hundreds of billions of pesos.”
The total exposure may reach beyond the trillion mark once all questionable projects are tallied, he said.
“May posibilidad po,” Dizon said when asked by Sen. Bam Aquino if the damage could reach trillions.
Aquino contrasted the losses with the government’s funding constraints.
“For three million severely wasted children, to increase their feeding program from 120 to 150 days, it will only cost an additional P3 billion — and yet we are talking about trillions, possibly trillions, stolen from us,” he said.
Calls for Accountability
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, urged the DPWH to enforce penalties and pursue contractors criminally and financially.
“They should be punished with criminal charges, but they should also be penalized financially since there are bonds that should cover the liabilities, and you’re saying tens of billions need to be returned,” Pangilinan said.
“As they say, ‘You hit them where it hurts,” he added.
Dizon acknowledged systemic flaws within the DPWH, saying many questionable projects never passed through local, provincial, or regional development councils.
‘File Every Case Possible’
He assured senators that within two weeks, the DPWH would publish an initial list of ghost and substandard projects, naming contractors, proponents, and DPWH personnel involved.
“If you ask my opinion, we should pursue every possible charge against them so that they are not only held accountable but also made to return the people’s money,” Dizon said. #
