FloodGate whistleblower surfaces in P5B ghost projects

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that a lawyer representing a contractor involved in multi-billion-peso “ghost” flood control projects in Central Luzon has approached the Department of Justice (DOJ) to offer vital information in connection with the highly anomalous projects.

Remulla said the contractor is a potential whistleblower.

He said the lawyer for one of the top 15 contractors with the most flood control projects in the region has provided information about alleged irregularities in projects worth up to P5 billion.

The projects were apparently paid for but never completed.

The DOJ chief said the lawyer gave him an idea of the modus operandi, which involved a 40 percent “cut” from the contractor.

Allegedly, the money was entrusted to a specific individual and a bank, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as the only entity payable to the contractor.

Remulla said, "the lawyer gave him the idea that the contractor took 40 percent and gave the money to someone and entrusted it to a bank and DPWH only is the payable to the contractor."

He also confirmed that the DOJ’s witness protection program is open to potential whistleblowers.

“For flood control, we can accommodate whistleblowers since we have a witness protection program. They can go to the DOJ for this,” Remulla said.

He added that he has been approached by a lawyer representing a potential whistleblower, who told him what happened in one of the projects in Central Luzon, worth P5 billion, involving ghost projects.