DPWH files graft raps vs. execs, contractors over flood control projects

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday led the filing of a graft complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against 20 officials of the agency and four contractors over anomalous flood control projects.

In a press briefing, Dizon said the respondents include St. Timothy Construction Corporation, represented by Sarah Discaya, and former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara, and former Bulacan 1st district assistant engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza.

Other respondents are DPWH officials John Michael Ramos, Ernesto Galang, Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Norberto Santos, Jaime Hernandez, Floralyn Simbulan, Juanito Mendoza, Roberto Roque, Jolo Tayao, Benedict Matarawan, Christina Mae Pineda, Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Laus, Jaron Laus Lemuel Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Francisco, and John Does and Jane Does.

LOOK: boxes of documents being brought to Ombudsman in relation to criminal charges set to be filed against DPWH officials, contractors in ghost flood projects @gmanews @24OrasGMA pic.twitter.com/hnyrEuSfxy

— Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) September 11, 2025

Meanwhile, other contractors charged are SYMS Construction Trading, represented by Sally Santos; Wawao Builders, represented by Mark Allan Arevalo, and IM Construction Corporation, represented by Roberto Imperio.

Dizon said a total of 25 individuals and four contractors were charged over five projects in Bulacan.

“By their concerted acts, the DPWH o?cials and the contractors did not merely commit administrative lapses; they orchestrated a deliberate scheme whereby false documents were made to stand in place of genuine performance, thereby triggering unlawful disbursements,” the complaint read.

“They are thus liable as co-principals for graft, falsification, malversation, and related o?enses, and are subject to the same statutory penalties as their public counterparts,” it added.

The complaint is for malversation through falsification of public documents, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and violation of the Government Procurement Act. 

"Uulitin ko ang instruction ng ating Pangulo… lahat ng kailangang managot ay dapat managot kahit kilala niya, kaibigan niya, kaalyado niya. Lahat dapat managot," Dizon said.

(I will repeat the instructions of our President… Everyone who must be held accountable should be held accountable, whether he knows them, they are his friends, or his allies. Everyone must be held accountable.)

"Simula pa lang po ito. Marami pa pong ibang kailangan managot at dapat managot sa mga susunod na araw, susunod na linggo, at susunod na buwan," he later added.

(This is just the beginning. There are still many others who need to be held accountable and must be held accountable in the coming days, the coming weeks, and the coming months.)

Dizon said the government will also soon start the process of dismissing the personnel involved.

In his complaint, Dizon also asked the Ombudsman to refer parallel forfeiture proceedings, if warranted, under Republic Act 1379 and to coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Council for possible violations of the Anti- Money Laundering Act.

For their part, Atty. Ernest Levanza, Hernandez’s legal counsel, expressed concern on why there is already a complaint. 

“If as early as now meron nang complaint, it seems na wala pa tayong— we don’t have the complete picture yet. So ‘yan ang aking concern. I haven’t seen it. So I’ll just reserve my comments once nakita ko ‘yung complaint,” he said.

(If as early as now there is already a complaint, it seems that we don’t have the complete picture yet. So that is my concern. I haven’t seen it. So I’ll just reserve my comments once I see the complaint.)

Sarah and Curlee

Asked why Sarah Discaya's husband, Curlee, was not among the respondents, Dizon said this was because Sarah was the one who testified in the Senate to being the beneficial owner of St. Timothy.

"Pero 'wag po tayo magaalala. Kagaya ng sinabi ko, marami pa ito at una pa lang ito. So maghintay na lang tayo sa mga susunod na kaso," he said.

(But don't worry. As I said, there are still many more and this is just the beginning. So let us just wait for the upcoming cases.)

GMA News Online has requested comment from the Discaya camp regarding the graft complaint, but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

According to Dizon, legal luminaries advised the DPWH to file cases that are the easiest and fastest to prove with the current evidence on hand.

He said lawyers told him that this is an "open and shut case."

Honest workers

Though he believes that the people "have the right to be angry," Dizon called on the public to refrain from judging all personnel of the DPWH, saying there are "honest and hardworking" employees in the agency.

"Hindi naman po porke't naka-DPWH uniform ay magnanakaw, ay masamang tao. Marami po dito, higit nakakarami, maayos po ito. Nakakaawa naman po sila. Wag naman po tayong humusga lamang dahil taga-DPWH," he said. 

(It does not mean that just because someone is wearing a DPWH uniform, they are thieves or bad people. Many of them, in fact the majority, are good. It's pitiful for them. Let us not judge just because they are from DPWH.)

He also called on the public to cooperate and share information with authorities.

The government is investigating alleged ghost and substandard flood control projects following President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s vow in his last State of the Nation Address to ensure that those involved in anomalous contracts would be held accountable.

Malacañang is set to announce the membership of the independent commission which will investigate alleged anomalies in the flood control projects.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have launched their separate probes into the controversy. 

Sarah and Curlee Discaya previously expressed interest in becoming state witnesses.

They have disclosed the names of several congressmen, their staff, and officials of the DPWH allegedly involved in corruption of the flood control projects. — VDV/RSJ, GMA Integrated News