Flood projects contractor wants to tell all — Remulla

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday revealed that he was personally approached by a lawyer representing a potential whistleblower offering detailed information on alleged massive irregularities in government flood control projects worth P5 billion.

Remulla said the whistleblower, identified as one of the country’s top 15 contractors handling flood control projects, is seeking government protection in exchange for exposing the collusion between the contractor and corrupt officials.

“The whistleblower said they just want an assurance from the government of their protection,” Remulla said, noting the informant has submitted a formal letter of intent to assist in the investigation. “They’ve given me an idea of what happened in one of the projects involving projects worth P5 billion, most projects.”

According to Remulla, the informant provided a blueprint of how certain government officials gave undue advantage to the contractor in exchange for kickbacks.

“The corrupt officials involved had an agreement, as the whistleblower explained to us, which is why the project cost was inflated for the government and those involved,” he said.

This new information feeds directly into the broader investigation being conducted by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the probe into alleged widespread corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways, particularly in flood control projects, be made a top priority.

The directive followed a preliminary Commission on Audit report identifying numerous red flags, including ghost deliveries, substandard materials, and projects awarded to contractors with suspiciously close ties to certain officials.

While the latest whistleblower’s revelations focus on a single contractor, Remulla suggested the involvement of multiple government officials and said the informant is capable of identifying them.

“This is not just simple graft; this is plunder-scale corruption that has directly resulted in failed infrastructure, flooded communities, and wasted taxpayer money,” an unnamed source within the DoJ task force said.

“The whistleblower’s claim of a P5-billion anomaly in one segment alone suggests the total amount could be staggering.”