The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) discovered a ghost flood control project awarded to the Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction Company in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, along with Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Special Adviser and Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, inspected the flood control project in Barangay Culaman and expressed outrage after finding it unfinished despite being fully paid during the previous administration.

According to the contract, the project, which was funded in 2021, was supposed to be completed in October 2022.

What angered Dizon the most was that the P96.5 million project had already been paid for even though it remained unfinished three years past its target completion.

DPWH-Davao Occidental District Engineer Rodrigo Larete said they paid the project fully to catch up with the disbursement rate, a reason that Dizon did not accept.

The flood control project was reportedly damaged after being hit by flooding and faced problems with quarrying.

However, residents claimed that the project was abandoned after only clearing operations were done and that the construction started just two weeks ago.

Dizon said this was a ghost project, with construction rushed only because an inspection was scheduled.

DPWH said the project was intended to protect nearby communities and schools from flooding.