Lacson: P79B may be lost to ghost flood control projects since 2016

Over P79 billion was likely lost to ghost flood control projects since 2016, Senate President pro tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said on Wednesday.

Pointing out that the figure has yet to include funds lost due to substandard flood control, Lacson said the finding was based on an updated report submitted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

"The DPWH submitted to the Blue Ribbon Committee an updated report. Combined with the new data from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police inspection teams, it appears the number of ghost projects was 494 out of some 13,000 projects," Lacson said.

He said P79 billion was a huge amount, considering that the Anti-Money Laundering Council has already frozen almost P12 billion worth of assets linked to the corruption of flood control projects.

Lacson said not even the amount returned by former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara - P110 million last month with a potential P200 million more in the coming weeks - can make up for the P79 billion.

He said that the Senate blue ribbon committee has so far only tackled a "minuscule" portion of the flood control anomalies. 

Lacson previously said the committee is set to submit a partial report on the anomalous flood management projects, based on information so far gathered during the previous hearings.

The committee report is currently being crafted and may be sponsored in the Senate plenary after the conclusion of the ongoing debates on the proposed national budget for 2026, according to the committee chairman. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

(NOTE: This report has been updated with revised figures from the office of Senator Lacson.)