Joselito Malig

Residents wade through knee to waist-deep flood along P. Florentino Street in Quezon City on July 24, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

An A-Z of players in the Philippine flood control scandal

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<div> <span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17576648925091757664885660.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Residents wade through knee to waist-deep flood along P. Florentino Street in Quezon City on July 24, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents wade through knee to waist-deep flood along P. Florentino Street in Quezon City on July 24, 2024.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>The flood control corruption scandal, which first came to light during President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s 2025 State of the Nation Address, centers on the alleged loss of P118 billion in government funds, which went to a web of favored contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in the construction of government flood projects in the last 3 years.</p><p>Despite the reported completion of some 5,500 flood control projects since 2022, numerous media reports have revealed many substandard and “ghost” flood control projects that were exposed following massive floods in parts of the country this year. </p><p>But who are the personalities and entities involved in this scandal? Here’s a quick look: </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Henry Alcantara, former District Engineer for Bulacan&#x27;s 1st Engineering District</strong></div><p>Dismissed from service for signing off on ghost projects in his district, Alcantara was recently implicated by his former deputy, Brice Hernandez, as a &quot;chief implementor&quot; in the kickback scheme of the flood control controversy. He was among the first officials dismissed and charged in connection with the scandal. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Uswag Ilonggo Partylist Rep. Jojo Ang</strong></div><p>One of the lawmakers accused of getting kickbacks from government flood control projects, Ang has denied the allegations by the Discaya couple. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Wawao Builders president Mark Allan Arevalo </strong></div><p>One of 15 top government contractors who cornered P100 billion in flood control projects, Wawao Builders president Mark Allan Arevalo affirmed in a Senate hearing that his company’s license was forcibly used for some flood control projects across the country, suggesting that insiders in the DPWH were behind the scheme. The company was blacklisted by DPWH, which would permanently bar them from participating in any government projects.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Quezon Rep. Reynante &quot;Reynan&quot; Arogancia</strong></div><p>One of the lawmakers accused of getting kickbacks from government flood control projects, Arogancia has denied the allegations by the Discaya couple and said he will fill charges. </p><div><br/></div><div> <strong>Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio</strong></div><p>The incumbent Representative for the 3rd District of Caloocan City, Asistio is one of the lawmakers accused by the Discaya couple of getting kickbacks from government flood control projects. He has denied the claims, saying there are no ghost projects in his district. </p><div><br/></div><div> <strong>Quezon City Rep. Juan Carlos &quot;Arjo&quot; Atayde</strong></div><p>An actor who achieved fame in the hit TV series  “FPJ’s Ang Probinsiyano”, Atayde has denied accusations by the Discaya couple that he pocketed kickbacks from government flood control projects in his capacity as congressman of Quezon City. Atayde is married to actress Maine Mendoza </p><div><br/></div><div> <strong>&quot;Bulacan Group of Contractors&quot; or the BGC Boys</strong></div><p> This group, named by Senator Panfilo Lacson, includes engineers from the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office who allegedly facilitated ghost projects in the district and lost P950 million in casinos while using fake IDs. The members of the BGC Boys are Henry C. Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig and Edrick San Diego.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Ex-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan </strong></div><p>A civil engineer who served in the Department of Public Works and Highways for decades until his retirement in 2010, Bonoan was tapped to lead the DPWH in 2022 until his resignation on September 1, 2025 amid the flood control scandal. Sen. Panfilo Lacson has revealed Bonoan’s daughter is an executive of MBB Global Properties Corporation and a business partner of Globalcrate Builders, which secured at least P2 billion in flood control projects from 2018 to 2024.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Agap Partylist Rep. Nicanor &quot;Nikki&quot; Briones </strong></div><p>One of the lawmakers accused of getting kickbacks from government flood control projects, Briones was recently embroiled in controversy when he was caught watching a cockfight video on his cellphone during a House session. </p><div> </div><div><strong>DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral</strong></div><p>Another DPWH official under probe for allegedly lying about her role in budget insertions, Cabral reportedly reached out to Sen. Tito Sotto&#x27;s staff in a private message, offering to ‘insert’ priority projects in the 2026 National Expenditure Program. She supervises DPWH infrastructure planning and programming. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Terence Calatrava, former undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas</strong></div><p>Calatrava is one of the officials accused by the Discaya family of pocketing kickbacks from government flood control projects. He has denied the charges, saying he has never met the Discayas. </p><div>  </div><div><strong>Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co</strong></div><p>Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, former chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, has been linked to SunWest Inc. and Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp. – two of the top 15 government contractors that bagged a fifth of all flood control projects from 2022 to 2025. He is accused of being the proponent of P13.8 billion in budgetary insertions including funds for flood control and other infrastructure projects in the bicameral conference committee version of the 2025 budget. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Pacifico &quot;Curlee&quot; and Cezarah &quot;Sarah&quot; Discaya</strong></div><p>Named by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as the king and queen of flood control projects, the Discayas own 9 construction firms including St. Timothy Construction Corporation and Alpha &amp; Omega General Contractor, which are included in the top 15 contractors that bagged P100 billion in flood control projects in the last 3 years. A PCIJ report said six companies founded by the Discayas plus 3 other joint ventures bagged 421 of 9,855 flood-control projects in the last 3 years, totaling P31.035 billion. Before the flood control controversy, the couple gained attention after lifestyle interviews showed they owned at least 40 luxury cars. Sarah Discaya also ran for mayor of Pasig in the 2025 elections but lost to Vico Sotto.</p><p>In their testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, the two claimed they were coerced by officials to participate in anomalous bidding and pay kickbacks to secure flood control project contracts. The Discayas are among the individuals now facing criminal complaints.</p><div> </div><div><strong>DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon</strong></div><p>The newly appointed DPWH Secretary has led a crackdown on the flood control project anomalies, ordering the dismissal of dozens of officials and the filing of charges against those involved.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Oriental Gov Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor </strong></div><p>One of several officials who exposed substandard flood control projects under his jurisdiction, Dolor said total of P17.8 billion worth of flood-control projects were inserted in the province&#x27;s budget from 2022 to 2025, with no consultation or coordination with his office. He said some of the projects were substandard and overpriced, with one “ghost” project thrice in 2024 but never built.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Former Senate President Chiz Escudero</strong></div><p>Former Senate President Chiz Escudero has confirmed receiving a P30 million campaign donation from Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction, one of 15 government contractors that bagged P100 billion in flood control projects from 2022-2025. From 2021 to 2024, Centerways secured over P5.16 billion in flood control projects, with a significant portion located in Sorsogon. </p><p> Escudero was recently ousted as the Senate President of the Philippines and replaced by veteran senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Sen. Jinggoy Estrada</strong></div><p>The former Senate President Pro Tempore, Estrada was recently tagged by ex-DPWH district engineer Brice Hernandez as being the alleged proponent of a P350 million budget insertion in Bulacan, with 30 percent going to SOP or kickbacks. Estrada has denied the allegations and threatened to sue Hernandez, daring the latter to take a lie detector test. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Former DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez</strong></div><p>A former Assistant District Engineer for the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, Hernandez implicated Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva in the flood control projects controversy, alleging they received kickbacks from projects. Accused of owning luxury cars and expensive watches, Hernandez is one of the so-called BGC Boys or Bulacan Group of Contractors – a group of engineers from Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office who allegedly facilitated ghost projects in the district.</p><p>Hernandez was dismissed from his position and is currently detained for his connection to the flood control project irregularities. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Sen. Panfilo Lacson </strong></div><p>Senate President Pro Tempore and now chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Lacson was the first to reveal that 67 lawmakers in 2022 also doubled as contractors in their respective districts, giving them control over project funds. He also exposed the link between the daughter of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan to a construction firm that bagged government flood control projects in Bulacan. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Lawrence Lubiano, Centerways Construction president</strong></div><p>A close friend of ex-Senate President Francis Escudero and the president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., Lubiano’s firm was one of the top 15 contractors that secured 84 projects worth over 5 billion, with 56 of these based in Sorsogon. He earlier testified that he gave P30 million to Escudero as a donation for the latter’s campaign in 2022. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Sen. Rodante Marcoleta</strong></div><p>The former chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the flood control controversy, he lost the chairmanship to Sen. Panfilo Lacson following a change in the Senate leadership. He recently moved to have the Discaya couple admitted as state witnesses, which was denied by Senate President Tito Sotto. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Mayor Benjamin Magalong</strong></div><p>The outspoken mayor of Baguio City has claimed he has information on corrupt congressmen who received up to 40% in kickbacks from flood control projects. He has stated his willingness to join an independent commission that will investigate the flood control controversy.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon</strong></div><p>The chairman of the House infrastructure committee, Ridon has led the House investigation on the flood control controversy. He was recently accused by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada of favoring ex-DPWH Engineer Brice Hernandez - a batchmate of Ridon in elementary school - after the latter accused Estrada of pocketing millions of pesos in kickbacks. Ridon has denied Estrada&#x27;s allegations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo</strong></div><p>Named by the Discayas as one of the lawmakers allegedly tied to the scandal, Romulo has denied the allegations, saying he is willing to open his SALN and sign a bank secrecy waiver to prove his innocence. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MG Samidan Construction owner Marjorie Samidan</strong></div><p>Marjorie Samidan, owner of the singe proprietorship MG Samidan Construction, bagged 5.3 billion in flood control projects mostly in the Cordillera region, particularly in Abra province. Investigation has shown that some of the company&#x27;s flood control projects were located in areas with little to no flood risk. During her testimony, Samidan admitted she had P1 billion total assets in 2024. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Syms Construction Trading owner Sally Santos </strong></div><p>Santos was invited to the House InfraComm hearing after her company was  tagged in a P55-million reinforced concrete river wall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan province. In her testimony, Santos revealed she delivered P245 million in cash to a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in one day.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Marikina Rep. Marcelino &quot;Marcy&quot; Teodoro</strong></div><p>One of the lawmakers being linked by the Discaya couple to the flood control controversy, Teodoro has denied the allegations, saying no Discaya firm has been awarded a project in his city. He said the allegations are a demolition job after he exposed fresh allocations in the 2026 National Expenditures Program for projects already completed.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco</strong></div><p>Current representative of the Lone District of Navotas, Tiangco has accused former House Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co of overseeing P13.8 billion in insertions in the 2025 national budget. </p><div><br/></div><div><em>Additional research by Jen Aaliyah Esquivel, ABS-CBN News Digital intern</em></div>

<p>The flood control corruption scandal centers on the alleged loss of P118 billion in government funds, which went to a web of favored contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in flood control projects.</p>

The flood control corruption scandal centers on the alleged loss of P118 billion in government funds, which went to a web of favored contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in flood control projects.