Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Rep. Antonio Tinio. File photo/ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762339778583072914_tinio.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Rep. Antonio Tinio. File photo/ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — A progressive lawmaker on Wednesday flagged &quot;signs of irregularity&quot; in 80 flood control projects in Davao City worth P4.35 billion.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio said they reviewed 121 flood control projects along the Davao and Matina Rivers from 2019 to 2022, and found that around 62 were supposedly “awarded without details”.</p><p>He said most did not have specific details.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung iba may general vicinity, pero hindi mo malaman kung gaano kahaba. So, of course ang problema dito, paano na ‘yung verification and accountability?” he explained.</p><p>(Some just described the general vicinity but don&#x27;t indicate how long it is. So, of course, that is a problem for verification and accountability)</p><p>Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte previously said that lawmakers are free to look into the district&#x27;s projects, adding attempts to drag him and the Duterte into controversy are meant to divert attention from corruption in the administration.</p><p>“<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/paolo-duterte-claims-lawmakers-using-davao-city-p51-b-budget-as-diversion-1635">Let me say this straight, Davao has nothing to hide</a>,&quot; he said in September.</p><p>Duterte reiterated this sentiment on Wednesday and said Tinio&#x27;s accusations were &quot;baseless.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Every single flood-control project along the Davao and Matina Rivers was implemented, inspected, and validated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Commission on Audit (COA). The structures exist. They are serving the people,&quot; he said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;They are not &#x27;ghosts&#x27; -- unlike the kind of politics some people keep reviving every time they need attention.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROJECTS &#x27;CHANGED LOCATION&#x27;</strong></div><p>Ten flood control projects in the area were allegedly not in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or part of the national budget, while nine supposedly “changed location”, according to Tinio.</p><p>“‘Yung item sa GAA, merong specified location at saka may specified length. Pero ‘yung na-award na contract, sa ibang location, mas maiksi ‘yung length nung flood control project. So, this is just one example,&quot; he said.</p><p>(There was a specified location and length in the GAA, but when the contract was awarded, it was for a different location and even the length of the flood control project is different)</p><p>He said that cost per meter also changed to P241,000 per meter of revetment from an original P80,000 per meter because of the change in length, which he said was &quot;clearly short-changing or overpricing.&quot;</p><p>Tinio also said that two projects “overlapped” — one project awarded in 2019 and another in 2020 in the same location — and two more were funded twice.</p><p>“Dalawang kontrata, parehong-pareho ‘yung description ng contract awarded to two different contractors… One worth P86.1 million. The other worth P28.9 million So double funding,” Tinio added.</p><p>(Two contracts with the same description awarded to two different contractors... one worth over P86.1 million and the other worth P28.9 million)</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/3/house-probe-on-alleged-overpriced-farm-to-market-roads-sought-1345"><strong>House probe on alleged ‘overpriced’ farm-to-market roads sought</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>AGENCIES URGED TO INVESTIGATE</strong></div><p>The ACT Teachers solon’s initial findings were based on their study of the National Expenditure Programs and the General Appropriations Acts for 2019 to 2022, the DPWH’s PCMA website on status of contracts, and the report prepared by the DPWH for 12 flood control projects in Davao City.</p><p>But Tinio noted that they have yet to physically inspect the sites.</p><p>He also said that of the 121 flood control project contracts they reviewed, 79 were added during budget deliberations, amounting to over P4 billion.</p><p>He said these were indications of irregularities and could be ghost projects.</p><p>Tinio plans to file a resolution seeking for a House inquiry into the matter. He also urged the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Commission on Audit to look into it.</p><p>Duterte called Tinio&#x27;s &quot;so-called exposé&quot; a &quot;desperate and ignorant attempt to drag Davao into another circus of baseless accusations,&quot; and advised him to personally check the flood control projects that he called into question.</p><p>&quot;Here&#x27;s advice to Tinio: come to Davao, walk the riverbanks, see the projects, and talk to the people whose homes no longer flood because of those structures,&quot; he said. &quot;Then maybe you&#x27;ll realize the only thing missing in your so-called investigation is the truth.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Until then, stop using Davao as your political punching bag. We don&#x27;t owe anyone an apology for doing our job right,&quot; he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</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/YoNjRKiF_ug?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A progressive lawmaker flagged on Wednesday 80 flood control projects in Davao City worth P4.35 billion over alleged “signs of irregularity”.</p>

A progressive lawmaker flagged on Wednesday 80 flood control projects in Davao City worth P4.35 billion over alleged “signs of irregularity”.

Tinio sees ‘red flags’ in 80 flood-control projects in Davao City's 1st District

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Tinio sees ‘red flags’ in 80 flood-control projects in Davao City's 1st District

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 05, 2025 06:56 PM PHT

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Updated November 05, 2025 10:02 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

flood control projects

ACT Teachers Party List

Antonio Tinio

Paolo Duterte

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