DPWH team to look into big 15 contractors

MANILA, Philippines — A special team of inspectors is conducting an assessment of the flood control projects undertaken by the 15 contractors identified by President Marcos to have bagged a fifth of the P545 billion worth of flood control contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highways, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said.

Bonoan, in an interview over radio dzBB yesterday, said the list of the 15 contractors was culled from all the flood control projects undertaken since the start of President Marcos’ term.

“We listed everything, all the 9,855 completed projects from July of 2022 and up to May of 2025. All the information was submitted to the Office of the President. These are all the analyses that came out, we included them in our submission,” Bonoan said.

While the DPWH conducted its own inspection, Bonoan said they also want people to send feedback on the flood control projects being undertaken in their respective localities.

“I already instituted the verification of these projects that we put in the list. And I have organized special teams from the (DPWH) Central Office (and) deployed to the regions and districts so that we can inspect and verify all these projects that are in the list,” Bonoan said.

Bonoan said the master list they submitted to the President only covered the basic information of the flood control projects such as the location, start and completion of the project, the implementing contractor and the amount of the contract.

“So it has to be field verified actually. All the other details that we need to verify actually so we can determine if the information that are in our website are truthful,” Bonoan said.

“But for now, we are just looking at the projects that they implemented, while we are focusing on the projects that these 15 contractors identified by the President implemented,” he added.

Bonoan agreed with the President that there seemed to be a pattern on the amount and scope of flood control projects that were won by the 15 contractors.

“We are not actually confining the assessment and investigations on the 15. There are many other contractors in many districts. So we will look at all of them,” the DPWH chief added.

The assessment will also look into roles played by the concerned DPWH officers in the regions and districts, aside from the implementing contractors that won the contracts.

Allies not spared

President Marcos will not shield anyone, even his allies, from accountability in the ongoing investigation into questionable flood control projects, Malacañang said yesterday.

In an interview over “Storycon” on One News, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President’s actions are guided by public interest, not political considerations.

“If the President does not act, he is criticized. If he acts and someone gets hit, he is also criticized. But the President has said that whoever is liable, even if they are close to him or his friends, they must answer for it,” Castro said.

She stressed that Malacañang will not comment on speculations linking the Palace to an alleged smear campaign against Senate president Francis Escudero, who earlier claimed that the exposé tying him to a top-earning flood control contractor was meant to unseat him as Senate president.

Castro said the ongoing review is based on evidence and documentation. “It’s hard to point fingers without complete evidence… That’s why the President is starting with contractors, because they are directly involved,” she said, noting that politicians will also be scrutinized if warranted.

Meanwhile, the Palace urged Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to relay what they know about anomalous flood control projects to President Marcos as it vowed to ensure that its anti-corruption crackdown would not end up as a mere witch hunt.

“Since they (Lacson and Magalong) know something about this... they should report it, that’s why we have a sumbongsapangulo.ph website. Perhaps they do not need to report it there. They can go directly to the President if they have particular names so that investigation can be faster,” Castro said at a press briefing.

However, the Palace Press Officer reiterated that the reports about the alleged corruption in flood control projects should be backed by evidence.

Castro also confirmed that the President’s trust in DPWH Secretary Bonoan remains.

Iloilo City backs probe

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu has expressed full support for President Marcos’ ongoing probe of flood-control projects, as she revealed that St. Timothy Construction Corp. and Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corp., both ranked in the top five of contractors with most cornered projects, are currently handling major flood control projects in the city.

“The Iloilo City Government, under my administration, will cooperate fully and provide all information necessary to aid this process,” she said.

The implementing agency for these projects is the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO).

Based on ICDEO’s status report as of July 31, the mayor said three projects worth P425 million are listed under St. Timothy Construction Corp.

Meanwhile, Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp. is in charge of the Iloilo Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Project – Section 2 worth P150 million.

“These projects are either non-functional, have caused flooding or are, in some cases, practically non-existent,” Treñas-Chu said.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto supported Treñas-Chu’s review of flood control projects in her city. Sotto earlier disclosed that St. Timothy and Alpha & Omega were owned by the Discaya family and is headquartered in Pasig City. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Alexis Romero, Jennifer Rendon