Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday filed additional fraud reports at the Office of the Ombudsman over four other “ghost” flood control projects under the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.Three of the projects are under a joint venture of TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc. and One Frame Construction Inc. while one is under Wawao Builders. “Epicenter kasi ngayon is Bulacan, so doon kami nag-concentrate muna. But hindi po kami hihinto sa Bulacan. Uubusin muna lang po muna namin ‘yung lahat ng nandoon sa Bulacan,” Cordoba said.  According to Cordoba, this is the second week in which they have filed reports on the matter.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/dpwh-initiating-warranty-claims-vs-ghost-substandard-flood-control-projects-1005">DPWH initiating warranty claims vs ghost, substandard flood control projects</a></div>Five other projects were deemed “ghost” flood control initiatives in the previous week in a report by COA. Two of the five were also from Wawao Builders.Cordoba sees that graft, malversation, and falsification cases may be filed in relation to the fraud audit reports submitted this week.Moving forward, COA and the DPWH will submit reports to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure instead of the Office of the Ombudsman.<div>‘CONSISTENT PATTERN’ </div>According to Dizon, they are beginning to see a “consistent pattern” in flood control project anomalies.“Mayroon na kaming nakikitang consistent na pattern nitong krimen na ito na paulit-ulit. Maraming elemento na nakita namin sa Bulacan, sa Mindoro, sa La Union. At ngayon nakita na rin namin sa Quezon City,” Dizon said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/brice-hernandez-dismissed-from-dpwh-0943">Brice Hernandez, other DPWH Bulacan officials dismissed from service</a></div>Among these is the lack of coordination with the local government.Citing Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Dizon said permits were lacking or non-existent for some flood control programs.DPWH personnel have also begun to manipulate their system of monitoring infrastructure projects, according to Dizon. This is consistent with what Senator Rodante Marcoleta mentioned about the project monitoring system of the DPWH at a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Dizon added. “Dapat po kasi ‘yung sistemang ‘yun ‘yung nagbabantay– ‘yung gini-geotag. Alam mo ‘yung coordinates. Pero natutunan nang imanipula ng mga taga-DPWH ‘yung sistema. Kaya nga sinasabi nga ni Chairman kanina, sasabihin halimbawa ‘coordinate longitude, latitude, dito ‘yan.’ Babaguhin ‘yan… Ililigaw ka. At minsan, dadalhin ka sa ibang proyekto. At palalabasin nila ‘yun ang proyektong natapos na pero hindi naman ‘yun,” Dizon said.Acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas already sent preventive suspension orders against 17 DPWH personnel after Dizon filed cases against them, the DPWH chief added.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said they are beginning to see a “consistent pattern” in flood control project anomalies.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said they are beginning to see a “consistent pattern” in flood control project anomalies.

COA, DPWH file fraud audit reports against 4 ‘ghost’ flood control projects in Bulacan

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COA, DPWH file fraud audit reports against 4 ‘ghost’ flood control projects in Bulacan

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 18, 2025 06:36 PM PHT

Read More:

Flood control

Ghost project

DPWH

COA

Ombudsman

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