DPWH probes 15 contractors flagged by Marcos

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it is verifying possible anomalies involving 15 contractors flagged by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In a press conference on Monday, 11 August, Marcos revealed that 15 contractors secured nearly 20 percent of the total P545.65 billion allocation for the government’s flood control program.

In a radio interview, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said around 6,021 of the 9,855 flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025 have a combined value of over P350 billion but lack specific details on the type of structures being built, repaired, or rehabilitated.

"That was the analysis that came out from our submission," Bonoan said.

"That's why the President publicized the list so we could get the feedback of the people on whether the contractors' projects have been useful or not. I already instituted the verification of these projects," he added.

The DPWH chief said the agency has organized a special team to look into the contractors and their projects.

"I deployed a special team from the Central Office. We already deployed them to the Regional Offices and District Offices to look into the listed projects," he added.

Bonoan noted inconsistencies in the details provided by the contractors, with some lacking basic information such as the location, date, and amount of the projects.

"The other information is unstatused. Are the flood control projects still there, or were they already destroyed? Where were they located? So they had to be verified," he added.

Earlier, Marcos ordered the ongoing audit to investigate why 20 percent of flood control projects went to just 15 contractors.

"Five of these contractors had projects in almost the entire country," Marcos pointed out.

However, Malacañang clarified that the 15 contractors will not be blacklisted, pending the results of the investigation.

During his fourth State of the Nation Address on 28 July, the Chief Executive ordered an audit of flood control projects under his administration, denouncing corruption that caused Filipinos to suffer from recurring flash floods during heavy rains.