MANILA, Philippines — In a major update to the ongoing probe into the country’s infrastructure scandals, the Department of Justice (DOJ) clarified on Monday that only 14 out of the 421 initially reported “ghost” flood control projects have been strictly validated as nonexistent so far.
Acting DOJ Chief Fredderick Vida shared the findings during the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. The update follows months of speculation after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson accused former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan of submitting “grossly inaccurate data” regarding the projects.
The Data Discrepancy The initial list of 421 projects was based on data from the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website. However, Lacson alleged that Bonoan—who recently returned from the U.S. to face the Senate—had deliberately provided incorrect grid coordinates to Malacañang. This move allegedly made it difficult to verify the projects, leading to the massive discrepancy between the reported and validated numbers.
“Currently, the DOJ has identified 14 projects through the collection of evidence… that we are convinced to be ghost projects,” Vida told the panel. “We pulled this from the initial list of 421.”
Plunder Complaints and High-Profile Names Despite the reduced number of “ghost” projects, the legal stakes remain high. Former Secretary Bonoan is now a co-respondent in a plunder complaint alongside Senator Jinggoy Estrada, former Senator Bong Revilla Jr., and fugitive former Representative Elizaldy Co. The charges involve alleged kickbacks and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The DOJ also announced that dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara has been accepted into the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP). Alcantara is a key figure in the investigation, and his testimony is expected to provide deeper insights into how funds were diverted.
Show Cause Orders and Missing Witnesses The committee has also issued show cause orders for Elizaldy Co and witness Orly Guteza after their failure to appear at the hearing. Co is currently believed to be in Portugal, while Guteza—a former security consultant—is the only witness thus far to implicate former Speaker Martin Romualdez in the kickback scheme.
Chairman Panfilo Lacson opened the session with fiery remarks, telling detractors to “shut the F up” as he vowed to pursue the investigation regardless of political pressure. As the DOJ continues to validate the remaining 400+ projects, the focus remains on ensuring that public funds intended for flood protection were not siphoned away by corruption.