The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed that 250 flood control projects have been identified as “ghost projects” during joint inspections.

These are part of approximately 10,000 out of the 30,000 infrastructure projects flagged for verification in the government’s ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla said in an interview on Dos Por Dos.

These cover projects implemented from 2016 to the present, though she noted that no detailed regional or annual breakdown has been provided yet.

“Kalat-kalat po nationwide ang inspections. Sabay-sabay po ito para mabilis. We utilize our ground units para dito,” Padilla said, noting that DPWH consolidates all inspection results submitted by AFP teams.

Regarding reports of confused or mismatched project coordinates, Padilla stressed that AFP teams follow only the documents and coordinates issued by DPWH during field validations. She said she was not privy to whether the coordinates originate from central or district offices but believes verification systems are in place to resolve discrepancies.

Padilla said the AFP is part of a technical working group assisting the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in validating flood control and other public works projects nationwide. She emphasized that while DPWH remains the lead agency, the AFP provides security, geo-tagging, and technical support through its engineering brigades and battalions.

“Our role is to ensure transparent and abuse-free verification of these projects. DPWH pa rin ang nangunguna sa inspection,” Padilla said.

Padilla outlined three key contributions of AFP units during inspections:

• Geo-tagging support to verify project location, size, and scope

• Project accomplishment validation to ensure reported progress matches physical output

• Structural and technical assessment conducted by AFP engineering brigades

She added that AFP engineers, originally trained for battlefield operations, have expanded their roles to support infrastructure verification on the ground.

More Work Ahead

With only a third of the 30,000 projects inspected so far, Padilla acknowledged that extensive work remains. She clarified that AFP’s role is limited to anti-corruption validation and technical support, not actual construction.

“DPWH is very much capable. They have the equipment and personnel,” she said.