BAGUIO CITY — Former Kalinga Representative Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang has appealed to the public to verify social media allegations of corruption against him before forming conclusions.

He denied the existence of ghost projects during his term and described the reports as a smear campaign intended to discredit his record and the work of incumbent Representative Caroline Agyao, for whom he serves as chief of staff. Mangaoang urged residents to validate information shared by private individuals and suspected trolls to prevent premature judgment.

The former lawmaker addressed specific claims regarding infrastructure projects funded through the National Expenditures Program (NEP) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). While he acknowledged that some projects experienced delays or failed to meet schedules, he attributed these issues to external factors and to the contractors responsible for implementation.

He noted that government investigations have found no evidence of ghost projects in the province.

Regarding criticisms of road quality and project placement, Mangaoang maintained that all works were approved based on official development plans. On allegations that projects prioritized private landholdings or used substandard materials, he said all infrastructure projects underwent official vetting. He explained that the allocation of funds depends on the category of the district engineering office and the classification of the roads involved.

Mangaoang also clarified the nature of funding, noting that the term allocable was introduced by the current administration for balanced budgeting and was not used during his previous terms. He added that some of the criticized funds were part of convergence projects involving different government agencies, such as the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

He challenged his critics to provide evidence of unimplemented projects, asserting that the lack of proof shows the allegations are unfounded.