The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged more flood control projects, worth ₱330 million collectively, in Bulacan as “ghost” or non-existent projects, or with locations illegally changed.

In a report by RH 5 Val Gonzales, the COA turned over four additional fraud audit reports related to the said projects to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

According to COA, the projects were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First Engineering Office and awarded to the controversial Wawao Builders.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that some projects had not been built at all, others transferred to a different location, and incomplete or fictitious projects were logged as 100 percent complete.

Among these projects are two riverbank protection projects in Malolos City worth ₱77.19 million and ₱77.11 million. No infrastructures were sighted in either of the indicated locations of the projects.

Meanwhile, in Guiguinto, a ₱98.99-million riverbank protection project was built on another portion of the river. In Calumpit, no evidence of the ₱77.19 million flood mitigation project was found.

The COA implicated former DPWH Engineer Henry Alcantara and 14 other DPWH Bulacan engineers, as well as Mark Allan Arevalo of Wawao Builders. They may be charged with graft and corruption along with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

The commission will carry on with its fraud audits for other projects in Bulacan, and expects more to follow this one.

According to COA Chair Gamaliel Cordoba, their efforts align with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s crackdown on corruption behind anomalous flood control projects.