Ched Rick Gatchalian

Commission on Audit in Quezon City. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

COA flags P325-M flood control projects in Bulacan over alleged irregularities, unauthoritized relocations

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768907751282coaaa.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Commission on Audit in Quezon City. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — The Commission on Audit has filed four fraud audit reports (FARs) with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) over irregularities in P325 million-worth of flood control projects in Bulacan, citing alleged ghost projects and unauthorized relocations. In a release on Tuesday, COA auditors said the projects were awarded to Wawao Builders Corp. and Darcy and Anna Builders &amp; Trading, and were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st district engineering office. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/coa-chair-bulacan-is-epicenter-of-flood-control-scandal-1752">COA chair: Bulacan is &#x27;epicenter&#x27; of flood control scandal</a></div>COA utilized physical inspections, drone surveillance, geotagged photography, and historical satellite imagery in uncovering what it called were &quot;several alarming patterns&quot; which include missing projects despite official documents declaring the projects were already completed, locations entirely different from those specified areas in approved bid plans and contracts, and some structures allegedly already existed prior to contract effectivity.The agency also noted &quot;widespread absence of required documents&quot; like detailed cost breakdowns, geotechnical investigation reports, as-built plans, and complete Statements of Work Accomplished (SWA).For Wawao Builders, which was ranked 12th among the top 15 contractors of flood control projects earlier announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., three of its projects were flagged. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/15-contractors-cornered-p100-b-worth-of-flood-control-projects-since-2022-marcos-1053" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15 contractors cornered P100-B worth of flood control projects since 2022: Marcos</a></div>COA said Wawao Builders&#x27; riverbank protection structure worth P96,499,302.69 at Barangay Santa Cruz, Guiguinto, Bulacan appeared to &quot;have been relocated without authority&quot; while another riverbank protection structure, supposedly at Barangay Iba-Ibayo, Hagonoy, costing P77,197,558.67, was nowhere to be found.In Calumpit, another riverbank protection structure showed &quot;multiple inconsistencies&quot; in project location and length. Its project cost was around P77,199,226.37.For Darcy and Anna Builders &amp; Training, COA said its riverbank protection structure worth P74,120,639.56 at Barangay Babatnin, Malolos City was not built at its approved project site.COA added, the officials and individuals involved in the alleged erring projects may face charges for graft and corruption under the Anti-Graft Corrupt Practices Act, as well as for malversation and falsification of documents.Individuals said to be liable in the disputed projects include former DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez.COA chair Gamaliel Cordoba earlier described the Bulacan 1st district engineering office as the “epicenter” of the flood control scandal.COA said some of their fraud audits have become the basis for the Ombudsman for its actions, while others have been submitted to the ICI.The DPWH earlier said it was<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/4/dpwh-permanently-blacklists-wawao-builders-0959"> &quot;permanently blacklisting&quot; </a>Wawao Builders Corp. -- with a report from Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News

The Commission on Audit filed four fraud audit reports (FARs) with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) over irregularities in P325 million-worth of flood control projects in Bulacan, citing alleged ghost projects and unauthorized relocations.

The Commission on Audit filed four fraud audit reports (FARs) with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) over irregularities in P325 million-worth of flood control projects in Bulacan, citing alleged ghost projects and unauthorized relocations.

COA flags P325-M flood control projects in Bulacan over alleged irregularities

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COA flags P325-M flood control projects in Bulacan over alleged irregularities

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 20, 2026 07:23 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 20, 2026 10:56 PM PHT

Read More:

Commission on Audit

COA

Flood control projects

Ghost flood control

Bulacan

Corruption

Flood control

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