Rowegie Abanto

Article (news)

Johnson Manabat

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UDeijl3qv4Y?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>2nd UPDATE</strong>) — The Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended Wednesday the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Senators <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/-sino-ba-pinapatamaan-mo-jinggoy-kiko-spar-over-linking-pdaf-scam-to-flood-control-scandal-1810">Jinggoy Estrada</a> and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/19/villanueva-lashes-out-at-critics-amid-flood-control-scandal-0042">Joel Villanueva</a>, resigned congressman <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/28/ici-issues-fresh-subpoena-to-ex-ako-bicol-rep-zaldy-co-1552">Zaldy Co</a>, and other officials over their alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.</p><p>In a news conference, ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said other officials included in the filing of complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman were Commission on Audit Commissioner <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/coa-commissioner-s-contractor-wife-gets-nearly-p200-m-in-dpwh-flood-control-projects-gov-t-data-1648">Mario Lipana</a>, former lawmaker <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/ici-seeks-new-lookout-order-vs-mitch-cajayon-uy-art-atayde-others-1319">Mitch Cajayon-Uy</a>, and former Public Works Undersecretary <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/almost-100-of-bidding-in-flood-projects-rigged-ex-dpwh-exec-bernardo-1807">Roberto Bernardo</a>.</p><p>Reyes said the commission recommended direct or indirect bribery, corruption of public officers, and plunder charges against the personalities for possibly being involved &quot;in obtaining bribes or unwarranted monetary benefits from flood control project contractors.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/12/an-a-z-of-players-in-the-philippine-flood-control-scandal-1625">An A-Z of players in the Philippine flood control scandal</a></div><p>Reyes reported that witnesses who came forward to the commission revealed the same details during the congressional probes: funds for flood control programs were allegedly inserted during the crafting of the National Expenditure Program or during bicameral conference committee meetings and that the proponents received pay-offs of 20 to 30 percent of the projects.</p><p>He also said the ICI confirmed that some government contractors made advanced payments to ensure that the projects would be awarded to them.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/29/marcos-jr-filing-cases-over-flood-control-mess-can-t-be-done-hastily-0053">Marcos: Filing cases over flood control mess can’t be done hastily</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOW SCHEME WORKS </strong></div><p>Reyes said the modus starts when a lawmaker supposedly informs sacked DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara that he or she has secured funds for infrastructure projects.  </p><p>“Additionally, the scheme shall always involve flood control projects, because the kickback is 25 to 30 percent and is higher than the kickback from the other projects which is only at 10 percent,” Reyes said. </p><p>“From here, Engr. Alcantara, will direct Engr. [Brice] Hernandez to make a list of projects based on the budget that the proponent has. The list is given then to one Carlo Rivera, who will then transmit it either to the Regional Office in Bulacan or to the proponent itself,” the official continued. </p><p>“If the list was provided to the DPWH Regional Director, it will be included in the National Expenditure Program of NEP.  On the other hand, if the list is given to the proponent itself, he or she would insert the projects in the House General Appropriations Bill or HGAB or Bicameral insertions wherein it would be reflected in the General Appropriations Act known as GAA,” he added. </p><p>Rivera would then make a summary of all the projects and Alcantara would choose the contractors, followed by the payment of the so-called “SOP” or “obligations” to the proponent, Reyes told reporters. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;JUSTICE WIL NOT BE DELAYED&#x27;</strong></div><p>Civil society groups and the public have been putting pressure on the government to act swiftly and make the first arrests of corrupt politicians and personalities and seize their unlawfully acquired wealth from flood relief funds.</p><p>Reyes said that &quot;no one will be spared&quot; in their investigation into the infrastructure corruption and vowed to &quot;pursue charges to the very last man involved.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Politicians and government officials will be investigated and charged by credible evidence. Those found responsible will face the consequences and be held accountable under the rule of law,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Justice will not be delayed this time; this is our promise to our countrymen.&quot;</p><p>Estrada has vehemently denied receiving flood control funds and vowed to prove this in court.</p><p>&quot;Ang mga paratang laban sa akin ay pawang hearsay o batay lamang sa sabi-sabi,&quot; he said. &quot;Handa akong ipagtanggol ang aking sarili at dumaan sa anumang proseso ng batas upang patunayan na nagsasabi ako ng totoo at nanatiling tapat sa aking tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan.&quot;</p><p>Villanueva also expressed readiness to face the complaint the ICI also recommended against him as he maintained there is testimony he knew nothing about the flood control projects.</p><p>&quot;We will wait for a copy of the official referral of the ICI to the Ombudsman. My lawyers will study the basis of my inclusion in the ICI&#x27;s referral. We will await the action of the Ombudsman and file our answer. Nevertheless, records of the Senate will show that I have been against flood control projects from the very beginning,&quot; he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/28/biz-group-warns-of-crisis-of-trust-amid-flood-control-scandal-1105">Business group warns of &#x27;crisis of trust&#x27; amid flood control corruption scandal</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>OMBUDSMAN GETS ICI RECO</strong></div><p>The Office of the Ombudsman Central Records Division later in the day received the recommendation of the ICI. </p><p>This is the second referral of the ICI after starting its probe on September 19.</p><p>“We expect this action naman. That’s the mandate of the ICI… the output I think is very welcome. So we can work on them as cases already,” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a press briefing.</p><p>He said the Ombudsman will immediately proceed with the preliminary investigation of the ICI’s findings, which he described as ripe for action.</p><p>“Next would be preliminary investigation, some validation of some information but basically some of them are right for action already. At least for P.I… most of the fact-finding has been done already by the ICI… which makes the facts already vetted or validated already by the respective offices,” he said.</p><p>Remulla also disclosed that the Department of Justice is expected to file six cases before the Sandiganbayan hopefully by November 25.</p><p>These include five flood-control projects in the first district of Bulacan and a dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, involving Sunwest Inc., a firm linked to Co.</p><p>He added that unnamed high-ranking officials with salary grade 27 and above are also listed as respondents in the cases.</p><p>“We expect to be filing cases soon and the DOJ cases seem like they’re going to the Sandiganbayan after all, after information was gathered that there were people indictable by the Sandiganbayan involved in the flood control cases… three of them involve a higher official,” Remulla said.</p><p>The Ombudsman added that 13 other cases are under preliminary investigation, including those involving the Discayas, Waowao Builders, and Syms Construction owned by Sally Santos.</p><p>The Office of the Ombudsman received a total of 421 reports on flood-control projects.</p><p>On September 29, the commission also recommended filing charges against Sunwest Inc., a construction firm linked to Co, for alleged irregularities in a P289.5-illion flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/moi4JwP7z7w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ziHNHX4HTC4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XBumYWR75Vk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended Wednesday the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, resigned congressman Zaldy Co, and other government executives over their alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.</p>

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended Wednesday the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, resigned congressman Zaldy Co, and other government executives over their alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.

​ICI recommends criminal, admin raps vs Villanueva, Estrada, Co, other execs over flood control scandal

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​ICI recommends criminal, admin raps vs Villanueva, Estrada, Co, other execs over flood control scandal

Rowegie Abanto,

Johnson Manabat,

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 29, 2025 12:06 PM PHT

|

Updated November 01, 2025 01:52 PM PHT

Read More:

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

ICI

Flood Control

Jinggoy Estrada

Joel Villanueva

Zaldy Co

Mario Lipana

Mitch Cajayon-Uy

Roberto Bernardo

Andres Reyes Jr

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ICI recommends criminal, admin raps vs Villanueva, Estrada, Co, other execs over flood control scandal

ICI recommends criminal, admin raps vs Villanueva, Estrada, Co, other execs over flood control scandal