A year into flood control mess, 45 individuals, 2 top contracting firms charged

A year after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s expose into the multibillion peso flood control corruption controversy, a total of 45 individuals and only two of the country's Top 15 contracting firms have been charged in 26 cases filed in court, documents obtained by GMA News Research showed.

Cases were filed in six batches against 45 individuals, with one key Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official on the verge of being a state witness.

This is what the numbers show following the President's State of Nation Address (SONA) in 2025, up to his latest address last Monday wherein he announced that the Ombudsman is set to file charges against former Speaker Martin Romualdez over possible plunder, direct, and indirect bribery, and money laundering cases.

The first-ever case was filed at the Sandiganbayan on November 18, 2025 against former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Zaldy Co who remains at large, DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director Gerald Pacanan, officers of Sunwest Corp., and several other DPWH Mimaropa officials.

This was in connection with a P289-million alleged ghost flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Co is one of only four lawmakers facing cases at the Sandiganbayan.

Others charged were former senator Bong Revilla, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and, just recently, USWAG Ilonggo Partylist Representative James "Jojo" Ang, Jr.

The two contractors from the Top 15 list of contracting firms revealed by Marcos himself that have cornered a chunk of the budget for flood control projects are facing charges: St. Timothy Construction and Sunwest Corporation.

St. Timothy owners, spouses Pacifico and Sarah Discaya and Ma. Roma Rimando, are facing charges before the Cebu and Malolos Regional Trial Courts. Sunwest officials are Co's co-accused at the Sandiganbayan.

One contractor, Sally Santos, is a state witness along with high-ranking DPWH officials including former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former Bulacan First District Engineering Office District Engr. Henry Alcantara, and former DPWH Regional Director Gerard Opulencia.

The highest DPWH official to be charged is former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, one of Estrada's co-accused at the Sandiganbayan, but prosecutors are asking the tribunal's Second and Fifth Divisions to discharge him and allow him to be accepted as a state witness. Thirty-two other DPWH officials and employees are also charged.

READ: Flood control cases filed since Marcos' SONA 2025

During his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, Marcos himself disclosed that his cousin, Romualdez, may join the list of those facing charges for the flood control mess.

"Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay Pangulo ng Pilipinas," he said.

(I am not the President of my family. I'm not the President of my friend. I am the President of the Pilipinas.)

Following the evidence

The Office of the Ombudsman thanked the President for his statement as that may seem like a go-signal to "free(ly) carry out its constitutional mandate."

"…and to follow the evidence wherever it leads, including the evidence wherever it leads, including those closest to the President himself," Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said in a statement.

Clavano likewise said the Office of the Ombudsman has issued orders to submit counter affidavits to Romualdez, Co, and eight other individuals within 15 days, after which the recommendation by a special panel of investigators will be resolved.

In a press conference on July 17, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla admits only a small percentage from those mentioned in the scam have been charged, citing difficulties in obtaining records from the Bicameral Conference Committee.

"It's a very small percentage, but we're doing this every day. And when our new teams come in through this month, through August, through September, then you will see a stronger Office of the Ombudsman. I think that we are hiring good people. So that in the end, what we want to happen is to have a deterrent effect," Remulla said.

Where credit is due

A public governance expert says the slow pace of the investigation and filing charges are to be expected given the number of agencies involved and the complexity of the scheme.

READ: Marcos SONA 2026: Promises made, delivered, expectations, and everything you need to know

"There's progress, we should give where credit is due. It involves several agencies, hindi lang 'yung individual, Andiyan 'yung Congress, DPWH, the Department of Budget and Management, 'yung mga kontratista," Ateneo School of Government Dean Jennifer Oreta said.

Oreta added that government should be meticulous in its case build-up if it were to prosecute the cases successfully.

"Kung talagang gusto nating seryosong makasuhan 'yung mga tao, dapat very meticulous, 'yung pagke-case buildup against them," she said.

(If we are really serious in filing charges against those involved, the case buildup against them should be very meticulous.) — VDV, GMA News