Solon seeks House probe into funders of ghost flood control projects

A congressional probe into the funders of the ghost flood control projects of the government, as well as the role of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the disbursement of the funds, has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

in House Resolution 201, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Representative Ronaldo Puno cited revelations from “credible reports and legislative inquiries by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee” on irregularities in public works projects funded in recent years, including ‘ghost’ or non-existent projects and signs of collusion among contractors.”

Puno specifically invoked Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s privilege speech wherein the Senator said that the province of Bulacan cornered around 30 ghost flood-control projects worth at least P77 million each.  

In addition, he said the DBM should be probed over the its recent statement during the budget briefing in the House that “certain funds, particularly those stemming from congressional insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, were intentionally withheld for later release and would only be disbursed upon compliance with specific conditions.”

“This dual reality of some funds released, others withheld, heightens the need for transparency. When billions are moved in and out of the budget without clarity, accountability collapses and public trust erodes,” he said.

“Ghost projects and coded allocations are not the technical glitches they seem. Rather, these are clear red flags of corruption that demand immediate scrutiny,” Puno added.

During the recent budget hearing in the House, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto also said that the administration withheld the release of P60 billion to P80 billion worth of funds under the 2025 national budget since these funded projects are not aligned with the government’s priorities.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved, that an inquiry in aid of legislation be conducted into the ‘funders’ or sponsors of alleged anomalous and fictitious construction projects included in the General Appropriations Act of 2025, including the actions of the DBM in the evaluation, release, and withholding of funds for the said projects,” Puno’s resolution added.

In a separate press conference, House public accounts panel chairperson and Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon said that the House probe will also look at the allocations for flood control projects in the First District of Davao City, represented by Congressman Paolo Duterte, given that 265 areas in the city have been submerged in floods in the past few days, based on the Davao City Engineering Office records.

“It is very important for us to see the impact of our flood control systems within Davao City and within Davao Region because these involve a huge amount of money,” Ridon said in a press conference.

In a separate statement, Negros Occidental Representative Albee Benitez said that the P1 trillion worth of public funds funneled to flood control projects could already fund low-cost government housing for Filipino families.

“Had the amount of almost P1.2 trillion been allocated to housing, there would have been enough to build one million decent homes under the government’s 4PH housing program” he said.

Benitez was referring to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development estimates last year which pegged the cost of each housing unit under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) program from P1.2 to P1.4 million. — BM, GMA Integrated News