MANILA, Philippines — With the Philippines grappling with its most controversial corruption scandal since the Pharmally scams, several government agencies are carrying out parallel probes into the alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first raised alarm over corruption in flood control during his fourth State of the Nation Address, followed by physical inspections of ghost projects in Bulacan.
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The probe has since expanded beyond the executive, with lawmakers, civil society actors and journalists exposing the depth of the corruption.
Billions of pesos are now suspected to have been lost in alleged kickback schemes between government officials and contractors. The corruption appears to be so widespread that multiple institutions are now investigating the matter.
Independent Commission for Infrastructure
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is Marcos’ flagship response to the flood control anomalies and will represent the executive branch’s collective effort against corruption in infrastructure.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under former secretary Manuel Bonoan initially moved to probe itself, but as newly installed secretary Vince Dizon later pointed out, “the agency cannot probe itself properly.”
Retired associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. will chair the commission, with former DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV country managing partner Rossana Fajardo as commissioners.
Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong will serve as special advisor.
Under Marcos’ Executive Order 94, the ICI has the power to investigate, summon, subpoena, and recommend cases against suspects. The Palace has not provided a timeline on when results will be released, only assuring that findings will come “as soon as possible.”
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee
The Senate, through its Blue Ribbon Committee, is also conducting its own investigation.
Former chair Sen. Rodante Marcoleta initiated the inquiry, with several House lawmakers tagged in alleged kickback schemes by the luxury car–loving Discaya couple. Notably absent from their account, however, were senators.
Following a Senate coup that unseated then Senate president Francis Escudero, Marcoleta was relegated to the minority and stripped of his chairmanship. Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson has since taken over as Blue Ribbon chair.
Lacson was among the first lawmakers to expose how flood control funds were siphoned to politicians and contractors, including DPWH officials accused of gambling millions in casinos, allegedly as a laundering mechanism.
The Blue Ribbon’s next hearing, the first under Lacson, is scheduled for Thursday, September 18.
House Infrastructure Committee
In parallel, the House of Representatives has formed the Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm), a joint body of the Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works, and Good Government, to probe anomalous projects.
It was in the House hearings where senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva were tagged by sacked DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez in alleged kickback schemes.
Hernandez accused Villanueva of inserting P600 million into the 2023 budget for personal gain, and Estrada of endorsing P330 million. Both denied the accusations and offered to sign bank secrecy waivers.
The House probe also revealed that Centerways Construction President Lawrence Lubiano donated P30 million to Escudero’s campaign—possibly a violation of the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits government contractors from making donations.
The House has yet to set its next InfraComm hearing.
Commission on Elections
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is also scrutinizing Lubiano’s donation, issuing a show-cause order after he skipped its first hearing.
Comelec Chair George Garcia said at least three of the 15 top-earning flood contractors are suspected of donating to candidates.
Department of Justice
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has formed a special task force, the Public Works Corruption and Bid-Rigging Task Force, headed by Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, to probe flood control anomalies.
According to resigned National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago, the task force has already inspected several ghost flood control projects in Bulacan, the province where Marcos first flagged the irregularities.