COA finds P309M worth of 'ghost' flood control projects in Bulacan

The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged P309 million worth of flood control projects as mismatched or ghost in its latest submission of fraud audit reports before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

These four flood control projects include:

• P46.3 million flood control structure along Balagtas River Purok 2, Barangay San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan by SYMS Construction Trading
• P92.59 million flood control structure along Maycapiz-Taliptip River, Barangay Perez, Bulakan, Bulacan by SYMS Construction Trading
• P96.5 million Riverbank Protection structure at Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan by L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc. and M3 Konstract Corporation joint venture and
• P74.1 million for construction of riverbank protection structure at Barangay Carillo, Hagonoy, Bulacan by Darcy and Anna Builders & Trading

COA said the projects were constructed in an area that is different from the approved location.  The structure has exposed steel bars and used unsuitable materials. The contractor was also paid in full despite the absence of real accomplishments.

The audit body said the following persons may be possibly liable for the questionable flood control projects: former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office District Engineer Henry Alcantara; former Bulacan First District Engineering Office Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez; Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang; Engineer Jolo Mari Tayao; Project Engineer Lemuel Ephraim Roque; Engineer John Michael Ramos; DPWH Engineer Jaypee Mendoza; DPWH Accountant Juanito Mendoza; Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading; DPWH Engineer Irene Ontingco; DPWH Engineer Joshua Blitz Roxas; Engineer Prince Earl Deocampo; the Joint Venture’s Luisito Tiquia as well as the JV’s corporate officers and members of the board and Darcy Kimel D. Respicio, Owner/Manager of Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading.

“The individuals involved may face charges for graft and corruption under the Anti-Graft and  Corrupt Practices Act, malversation, and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal  Code, as well as violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 and the Government Procurement  Reform Act. These audit findings will aid the ICI in its investigation of irregularities in government infrastructure projects,”  COA said.

“More individuals may be held liable as the audit progresses, and new information becomes available,” it added.

COA started conducting fraud audits on flood control projects on August 12 this year. This covered projects spanning from July 1, 2022, to May 30, 2025 in Bulacan.

Since then, COA has submitted nine fraud audit reports to the Office of the Ombudsman and 12 to the ICI.

“As COA continues to heed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for transparency, the public can expect additional reports to be submitted to the ICI as the agency’s audit investigation continues,” it added. —LDF, GMA Integrated News