3 Bulacan ‘ghost projects’ worth P300M discovered

Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday that at least three “ghost” flood control projects with a combined value of P300 million have been uncovered in Bulacan province.

During a press briefing, Remulla confirmed the discovery, which came after investigators traced suspicious project coordinates submitted through the “Isumbong Mo Kay Pangulo” (Report to the President) online platform.

“They just validated the information of three ghost projects that they found within the coordinates given,” Remulla said. “The projects don’t exist in the first district of Bulacan.”

Each of the three nonexistent projects was valued at between P95 million and P100 million.

Remulla said his department is now “tying up loose ends” before filing charges against those involved. While he did not identify any officials or contractors, he said the scale of the anomaly points to a possible conspiracy.

“There are politicians, DPWH officials, contractors, etc. We are looking at different angles,” he said.

The Justice department is considering filing charges of malversation of public funds, which are often easier to prove than plunder cases.

The confirmation of the nonexistent projects adds to long-standing concerns about the country’s flood control budget, a sector that has been plagued by allegations of overpricing and projects that are never completed or do not function as intended.

Also, the DoJ expects to file cases once investigators have consolidated all evidence. The Independent Commission on Infrastructure, a recently formed body tasked with examining anomalies in public works, is also expected to look into the findings.