Residents battered by floods call for justice amid Bulacan ‘ghost project’ scandal

Following the recent surrender of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. to the Sandiganbayan over graft and malversation charges, public attention has shifted to the actual site of the controversial 76-million peso flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

In the latest episode of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," residents of Barangay Bunsuran Dos shared how they have been left to deal with the physical and financial fallout of projects that appear to exist only on paper.

Residents pointed out glaring discrepancies between government project signage and the reality on the ground.

One project was constructed in Purok 5, despite signage stating it was intended for Purok 1 and 2.

Another project, undertaken by Topnotch Catalyst Builders, is officially listed as “completed,” but residents said it remains non-functional.

A barangay tanod pointed to unfinished structures, saying, “Ayan po, ’yun oh, nakabaon. Pati ’yung diyan po, may bakal na ’yan hanggang doon. ’Yan diyan, nakabaon lang.”

[“It’s just buried there. Even that spot over there has steel bars running through it. This part here is just buried deep."]

“Eh, siyempre masakit para sa amin unang-una, ’yung pondo diyan, kasama pa rin tayo doon eh. ‘Di ba? Pera natin ’yun. Tapos ganu’n lang nangyari. Iba lang ang nakinabang. Hindi lahat. Masakit para sa atin. Lalo na kami, nalulubog kami ng baha,” he added.

[“It hurts us because, first of all, we were part of that funding, that’s our money. And then this is all that happened. Not everyone benefited from it. It’s painful for us. Especially for those of us who get submerged in floods."]

For residents in the area, the failure to provide proper flood drainage is not just a legal issue but a threat to their survival.

Sharon, a resident whose home is made of light materials, shared that floodwaters during the rainy season often reach chest-deep levels.

“Ayun. Dito siya eh. Siguro hanggang dito ’yan. Lagi ’yan, ganyan. Ang hirap din kasi. Ganito na nga, light materials tapos bahain pa,” she said.

[“The water probably rose to about chest level. It’s always like this every time it floods. It’s really hard, especially since our house is made of light materials and is already prone to flooding.”]

She hopes those responsible will be held accountable.

“Dapat pakinggan nila ’yung taong bayan. Kung mayroon mang kasalanan, managot. Dapat makulong ’yung mga kurakot na ’yan. Nakakainis. Kami nahihirapan talaga, ’yung taong bayan eh. Sobra—nakakaiyak, nakakagalit,” Sharon said.

["They should listen to the people. If anyone is at fault, they should be held accountable. Those corrupt officials should be jailed. It’s frustrating. It is the people—the common folk—who are truly suffering. It’s too much—it makes you want to cry, it makes you so angry."]

The agricultural community is equally at risk.

Jojo, a local farmer, said he fears the coming rains will destroy his livelihood.

Expert analysis of the project documents offered a technical explanation for residents’ confusion.

After examining the engineering plans, Engr. Paulo Bersamina confirmed that documents used for different sites were identical.

“Nu’ng nakita natin ’yung vicinity map ng isang project, exactly the same siya doon sa isang proyekto. Kung magkaiba silang proyekto, hindi dapat pareho. Dahil magkaiba ang Purok Uno at Purok Singko, dapat magkaiba ang drawing. On that basis, duplicate nga ang nangyari,” he said.

["When we saw the vicinity map for one project, it was exactly the same as another project. If they are separate projects, they shouldn't be identical. Since Purok Uno and Purok Singko are different areas, the blueprints should be different. On that basis, a duplication definitely occurred."]

Further inspection showed that six out of ten sheets in the project plans were exact copies of those from another project, suggesting a systemic failure in the government’s review process.

The expert emphasized the need to “i-capacitate natin yung mga technical people natin. Kaya walang checker among the stakeholders, is baka walang capacity technical people like engineers, to per review the drawings.”

The KMJS team attempted to locate the flood control project built by SYMS in Brgy. Bunsuran, valued at ?92.8 million, but to no avail.

Even the Engineering Office of Pandi, Bulacan said it could not find any records or information regarding the project, despite the issuance of a “Notice to Proceed” by Alcantara.

["Let's capacitate our technical people. The reason there is no checker among the stakeholders is perhaps because the technical people, like the engineers, lack the capacity to peer-review the drawings."]

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice confirmed that at least 14 “ghost projects” have been identified, noting that those in Bulacan were prioritized because they were “mas madaling tukuyin, mas madaling makita, mas madaling alamin, at mas madaling ma-beripika.”

[They were easier to identify, easier to see, easier to find out, and easier to verify.] —JCB, GMA Integrated News