DPWH: P2.5 billion may be taken back from first 12 contractors in alleged bid-rigging

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday said that P2.5 billion in cash or pieces of property, and even more, may be recovered from contractors of flood control projects initially linked to alleged bid-rigging. 

At the Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberations on the proposed P625.78 billion of the DPWH for 2026, Dizon said that the agency has already filed 12 cases before the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) concerning the anomalous flood control projects. 

“May estimate na tayo sa initial 12, I think…P2.5 billion po, doon pa lang sa 12 proyektong ‘yun,” Dizon said when asked how much may be recovered 

(We already have an estimate for the initial 12 projects, amounting to P2.5 billion.) 

Bid-manipulation 

The DPWH earlier this month referred two cases of bid-manipulation and bid-rigging to the PCC for preliminary inquiry and possible filing of cases under Section 14, Chapter III of the Philippine Competition Act.

The first case is against Wawao Builders, IM Construction Corporation, SYMS Construction Trading, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and officials and employees of the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.

Meanwhile, the second case is against Sunwest, Inc., as well as officials and employees of the DPWH Regional Office IV-B. 

Billions more?

Senator Bam Aquino said that with only 12 cases being filed so far, billions of pesos may still be recovered, as there are hundreds more questionable flood control projects in the country. 

“Kung 421 po ‘yan, eh talagang hundreds of billions ‘yung pwede niyong ma-recover. Kasi Sec., mahalaga ‘tong parte ng proseso tsaka ng hinahanap ng tao na hindi lang makulong ang kasangkot, pero mabalik rin ang pera. So this is a way for us to get that money back,” Aquino said. 

(If there are 421 ghost projects,  then you can actually recover hundreds of billions. This is an important part of the process, besides what people are asking, that we don’t just jail the perpetrators but actually get the money back. So this is a way to make it happen.) 

Aquino said that the PCC can get properties, vehicles, and bank accounts just to retrieve the amount from contractors.

Dizon, meanwhile, said that the money that the PCC will get will be returned to the national treasury. 

The DPWH had said that of the 8,000 flood control projects initially inspected across the country, 421 were found to be ‘ghosts.’ –NB, GMA Integrated News