Where crocs, crooks proliferate

As the Christmas season winds down and the lights dim across the provinces, questions linger over where public money flowed while the nation was distracted by carols and celebrations.

The Bicol Region, alongside Bulacan, appears to be a preferred destination for pork barrel projects, according to data from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Even as families exchanged gifts and goodwill, billions of pesos in public works contracts quietly found their way to a familiar set of players.

Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste recently linked DPWH projects awarded to Bicol Goldrock Construction and GCI Construction to the Bicol Saro Partylist of Rep. Terry Ridon. Leviste called for Ridon’s resignation as chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts to clear the way for an investigation, a Congress insider told Nosy Tarsee.

DPWH records show that companies linked to the Ibasco family have cornered tens of billions of pesos in public works contracts, reviving concerns over concentration, pricing, and political patronage. These firms have secured more than P42.3 billion worth of projects across the Bicol region, including over P4.6 billion in Batangas’ 1st District alone.

Senate finance committee documents further indicate that Ibasco-owned GCI emerged as the single largest contractor for the Department of Agriculture’s farm-to-market roads program in 2024.

Leviste said the reach of the Ibasco firms extends deep into politically sensitive districts. “GCI and Bicol Goldrock are the top DPWH contractors in my district,” he said, adding that the same companies dominate public works projects in Camarines Sur.

He alleged that the firms have been linked to “some of the most overpriced and substandard roads in the country,” while thanking Ridon for previously flagging concerns about Ibasco-backed projects.

Leviste also cited files attributed to the late DPWH undersecretary Emil Sadain Cabral, which allegedly list Ibasco projects under “CENTI2025,” described as projects suspected to be parked funds or pre-ordered allocations for favored contractors.

Of the P954.9 million worth of projects listed for Leviste’s district, P440.6 million reportedly went to Ibasco-linked firms, while P514.3 million was awarded to companies associated with another politically connected contractor group.

The allegations extend to the crafting of the 2025 DPWH budget. Leviste claimed documents show the Bicol Saro Partylist proposing P150 million worth of road projects in Camarines Sur, including two P75- million roads connecting Veneracion, Pamplona to Odicon, Pasacao. Both projects were later awarded to Bicol Goldrock at P73.5 million each, or just two percent below the approved budget ceiling.

Ridon denied any personal involvement, saying he could not have influenced the 2025 budget. “I only returned to Congress on 30 June 2025, under the 20th Congress,” he said. “How could I have made insertions to a budget that was crafted in 2024 under the 19th Congress?”

Leviste countered that the alleged insertions were made by the Bicol Saro Partylist itself, which sat in the 19th Congress and of which Ridon was already a member. He accused Ridon of deflecting scrutiny by drawing a line between himself and his partylist.

“Media should not allow this evasion,” Leviste said.

As the season of giving fades into the new year, the question left hanging is whether accountability will follow the same urgency Filipinos show when Christmas finally arrives.