Senator Jinggoy Estrada is among those facing possible plunder and graft charges after the Office of the Ombudsman received the Department of Justice (DoJ) report on the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the report details alleged irregularities in the procurement and spending of projects under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
The DoJ investigation, conducted by its National Prosecution Service, examined alleged irregularities in the procurement and implementation of flood control projects, including bid-rigging, overpriced or ghost contracts, and substandard or unfinished works.
Clavano said the findings point to portions of the 2025 GAA for infrastructure — long flagged by experts as vulnerable to corruption — being funneled through a network of complicit officials and favored contractors.
The DoJ investigation drew from government records and Senate Blue Ribbon hearings, where former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya testified on alleged anomalies.
“The allegations claim that multiple high-ranking public officials and private individuals conspired to manipulate budget allocations, rig public bidding, and siphon government funds from national infrastructure programs by manipulating project specifications and procurement processes,” Clavano said.
Aside from Estrada, those named include former DPWH officials Manuel Bonoan, Roberto Bernardo, Gerard Opulencia, Henry Alcantara, Bong Dinglasan, Denryl Cortuna, Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr. Maria Catalina Cabral, who was also named, has since died.
The DoJ said the respondents played key roles in the alleged misuse of public funds, while noting that more individuals may still be linked to the case. Some respondents, including Bernardo, Opulencia and Alcantara, have been placed under the DoJ’s Witness Protection Program and have testified in related proceedings.
The DoJ recommended filing charges of plunder, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery and corruption of public officials, while recommending the dropping of charges against Cabral and the exclusion of state witnesses from liability.
Estrada and several other respondents have denied the allegations, with the senator earlier questioning the credibility of key witnesses and documentary evidence in his submissions before the DoJ.
Clavano said the Ombudsman will evaluate the findings as part of its own independent probe. “Rest assured, we will keep the public updated on the developments in this case,” he said.
The Ombudsman earlier received the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the same issue on 13 May.
