DPWH finds 421 ‘ghosts’ in 8,000 flood projects

MANILA, Philippines — At least 421 of about 8,000 flood control projects have been found to be “ghost” or non-existent in inspections undertaken by the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev), according to Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

Dizon, in a press briefing yesterday at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), said that the 8,000 project sites inspected were an initial number covered by the AFP, PNP and DEPDev, involving the physical validation of thousands of ongoing and completed infrastructure projects across the country.

Dizon said that the AFP and PNP had conducted the inspections even without a formal arrangement with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“We’re going to formalize the agreement with the PNP and the AFP,” Dizon said.

He said that the inspections had already yielded solid results, whose findings he will report to the ICI.

According to Dizon, reports from the AFP, PNP and DEPDev were submitted last week, with Public Works Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar tasked to present the consolidated inspection updates to the ICI.

“These are actual physical validations of project sites,” Dizon explained. “We’ve already received reports covering about 8,000 sites. That’s still small compared to the entire universe of government infrastructure projects, but it’s a start.”

The inspections, which are being conducted nationwide, aim to verify the actual progress and existence of projects under the government’s infrastructure program, amid concerns over so-called ghost projects.

“There are always trust issues in any large bureaucracy, including the DPWH,” Dizon acknowledged. “That’s why it’s important for us to tap independent validators such as the AFP and PNP, who are already deployed all over the country. This makes the process more credible and less vulnerable to internal biases.”

The inspection teams are currently focusing on key provinces with high concentrations of infrastructure spending. However, officials declined to disclose detailed findings pending the submission of their official report to the ICI.

“This strategy ensures that validation can continue without the need for additional large-scale mobilization,” he said.

The ongoing initiative is expected to expand further as the government sets new targets for validation coverage. “We’ll discuss how to scale up the effort because there are really a lot of projects to look into,” the official added. “But definitely, the inspections will continue — and they will continue nationwide.”

Blue Ribbon to invite Romualdez, Co

Senate Blue Ribbon committee acting chair Erwin Tulfo said he will invite former speaker Martin Romualdez and resigned Ako Bicol congressman Zaldy Co in the next flood control corruption hearing.

In an interview with ANC yesterday, Tulfo said he agreed with his predecessor Senate president pro tempore Panfilo Lacson’s position that Co and Romualdez should be invited to explain their side on allegations that they received cash-stuffed suitcases of kickbacks from their flood control projects.

The Senate may now invite Co despite interparliamentary courtesy because he had resigned from his party-list seat.

Leyte congressman Romualdez meanwhile may be invited but it would be up to him if he wanted to attend the hearings.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate has received the petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by flood control contractor Pacifico Discaya, who is detained in the Senate for contempt.

The Senate sent its legal counsel to the hearing by Judge Melvin Cydrick Bughao of the Pasay city Regional Trial Court Branch 298.

The Senate argued before the court the legality of Discaya’s continued detention at the Senate for contempt.

The court ordered that Discaya remain under the “safekeeping” of the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Sotto said in his statement.

‘Classified’ DPWH docs reveal systemic corruption

Senator Lacson yesterday said he reviewed “classified” documents from the DPWH which showed the extent of corruption in the country’s infrastructure program.

Lacson on X said that he reviewed these documents and said it confirmed his suspicions of a systemic corruption in ghost or substandard flood control projects.

“Reviewing the piles of ‘classified’ DPWH documents which I shared with my staff, we all wondered aloud if the more appropriate question to ask is, ‘Who is not?’ rather than, ‘Who is guilty?’” Lacson said.

“So sad to realize how widely corrupt our government infrastructure program has gone,” he added.

Lacson issued this reaction to the DPWH chief Dizon’s initial findings that at least 421 of 8,000 inspected flood control projects were “ghost” projects.

Lacson was also reacting to the extent of corruption that also affected the farm-to-market roads in the countryside.

End kickbacks by cutting project cost

If Secretary Dizon can lower the price of DPWH projects by 25 percent, this could save P400 billion and end the systemic kickbacks in the department, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste urged on Wednesday.

“In the time of DPWH Secretary Babes Singson, he lowered prices by 10 percent before approving projects. Secretary Dizon has committed to do the same, but overpricing is now even worse. We call on him to lower prices by 25 percent, which we will support in Congress, so that our country can save P400 billion. Let’s not just lower it by 10 percent and leave 15 percent, let’s lower it by a full 25 percent and end kickbacks in DPWH,” Leviste said in a privilege speech.

“I commend Secretary Dizon for his steps to clean up DPWH. Corruption won’t be solved overnight, but if he wants to cut kickbacks immediately, he can lower prices by 25 percent. I pray that he will do the right thing for our country,” Leviste added.

“The budget is the source of corruption in DPWH, because its above-market prices allow for supposed 20-30 percent kickbacks, and these prices are set by DPWH. Lowering the prices in the budget prevents kickbacks. Not lowering the prices, while knowing they are high, is tantamount to approving kickbacks,” Leviste said in his open letter to Dizon earlier this week.

PhilSA, GEP ink partnership

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has forged a partnership with the Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines (GEP) for an effort to advance the use of space science and satellite technology for geospatial mapping activities in the country.

The initiative aims to strengthen coordination and promote effective implementation of space-based initiatives across multiple sectors.

Under the agreement, GEP will provide technical inputs and share drone imagery with PhilSA, while PhilSA will develop and manage space-enabled tools and applications, including the processing and sharing of satellite imagery and datasets.

Integrating spaceborne and ground-based data will allow both institutions to generate comprehensive, actionable insights that support planning, decision-making and policy formulation. This synergy aims to produce innovative, data-driven solutions to address complex national and local challenges.

Ariel Blanco, PhilSA deputy director general for space operations, infrastructure and industry, had signed an agreement last Oct. 7, with GEP national president Romero Versoza and immediate past national president Raymund Arnaldo Alberto, for a shared commitment to harness space and geospatial technologies for national development initiatives and projects.

The collaboration will be a strategic effort to enhance the use of Space Science and Technology Applications and geospatial tools in support of disaster risk reduction and management, environmental protection, agricultural monitoring, and sustainable land and resource management in the Philippines.

Through joint projects, PhilSA and GEP will establish a platform for continuous knowledge exchange through the sharing and validation of satellite and geospatial data, operational methodologies and technical expertise. –  Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab