COA to file more raps over ghost, defective flood control projects
Composite image. INQUIRER files, INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) on Thursday, September 18, announced it will file additional criminal complaints against private contractors and former public works officials over alleged irregularities in flood-control projects in Bulacan.
The new cases stem from fraud audit reports (FARs) that COA submitted last week to the Office of the Ombudsman, covering five flood control projects in the province that were flagged as either “non-existent or sub-standard.”
“[The reports] will be the bases of the filing of criminal complaints under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Government Procurement Act, and falsification of public documents against contractors and former DPWH officials,” COA said in a statement.
The projects, located in Calumpit and Baliuag, were awarded to Wawao Builders; St. Timothy Construction Corp., a firm linked to contractor Sarah Discaya; and SYMS Construction Trading.
READ: COA files in Ombudsman fraud audit report on Bulacan flood control projects
According to the state auditors, the reports identified 20 former employees of the DPWH’s 1st District Engineering Office in Bulacan and four private contractors involved in the anomalous projects.
The commission began its fraud audit on August 12 through a memorandum issued by Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba. The move was in response to the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate and hold accountable those involved in fraudulent flood control projects.
The commission has also launched a broader performance audit to evaluate whether DPWH’s flood control programs—funded by billions in public money—have meaningfully reduced flood risks and improved safety in vulnerable areas.
READ: COA starts performance audit on flood control projects amid rising waters
In a recent congressional hearing, COA disclosed that from 2016 to 2025, it had issued ₱313.7 billion worth of notices of suspension and ₱5.8 billion worth of notices of disallowance for various DPWH infrastructure projects. /das/abc
