The Office of the Ombudsman has deputized the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct the preliminary investigation and file cases before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for five “ghost” flood control projects in Bulacan, utilizing the DOJ’s existing case records to prevent duplication of efforts.
“The five flood control cases filed by the DOJ, we are returning it to them already, they will conduct the PI and they will be the one who's going to work on that and file the case, since they already have the witnesses, so that the process here won't be repeated,” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla explained in Filipino.“They will go straight to the RTC to file these cases but they will conduct a PI first in order to see the answers of those charged,” he added.
According to Remulla, most of those involved in the cases are already testifying and have admitted liability in the scandal. He described this as a positive start to the process, forecasting that a resolution may be filed in court by November 20.
Meanwhile, the Mindoro Oriental flood control case preliminary investigation is underway, with respondents already required to submit their counter-affidavits.
Remulla also disclosed that he received an early morning call from a friend acting as an intermediary between him and a former Quezon City congressman, who allegedly expressed willingness to reveal everything he knows about the flood control irregularities.
“A friend of mine, he is like a 'go-between' for a congressman in Quezon City who wants to 'tell all,' so we will wait,” Remulla revealed.
When asked to clarify, the Ombudsman said the former lawmaker intends to disclose full details about the operations and identify individuals involved in the scheme.
In September, the Quezon City government reported that 66 out of 331 flood control projects contracted from 2022 to 2025 had either incorrect or missing coordinates — around 20 percent of the total.
Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier revealed that the city received over P17 billion in total allocations for flood control projects during the same period.
The Office of the Ombudsman, in coordination with the Sandiganbayan, is also preparing mechanisms for the reinstitution of stolen public funds. Plea bargaining — wherein suspects plead guilty in exchange for lighter penalties upon returning stolen money — is among the options being considered.
