St. Timothy Construction Corporation on Friday denied allegations linking it to substandard and ghost projects.
In an exclusive interview on DZRH's Damdaming Bayan, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego Jr., legal counsel of St. Timothy, stressed that the firm’s projects are legitimate, above board, and compliant with procurement laws, and believed that their company has been unfairly dragged into the controversy.
“Hindi namin sinasabing sub-standard dahil ang mga gawain ng St. Timothy ay above board po. Kasi dumadaan po ’yan sa procurement,” Samaniego said.
“Wala pong [ghost projects] kasi bakit naman kami magkakaroon ng ghost project, napakalaking kumpanya ng St. Timothy, quadruple A at hindi basta-basta ang company na ito. Hindi po namin kailangan ng ghost projects,” he added.
Samaniego also explained that all of St. Timothy’s projects come from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and undergo proper bidding processes.
“Lahat po ng project namin galing sa GAA, wala po kaming project na galing sa unprogram project,” he said.
'We just got dragged into this'
Samaniego lamented that St. Timothy’s name keeps surfacing in public discussions even though inspection reports showed that some of the projects visited by President Marcos were not theirs.
“Nakakalungkot lang po minsan kasi parating St. Timothy ang nababanggit na construction firm…pero yung pinacheck po namin sa field engineer, hindi po sa amin. Nadamay lang po kami gawa ng mga kalokohan ng ibang mga contractor, gaya ng mga expose ni Senator Lacson na wala palang programa,” he said.
Ready to face Senate probe
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee earlier invited St. Timothy representatives to shed light on the flagged infrastructure projects. However, the company failed to attend the hearing, prompting the Senate to issue a subpoena to all absent contractors, including St. Timothy.
Samaniego later confirmed that the company's Owner/Manager, Roma Angeline Rimando, will personally attend the next hearing.
“Personal po siyang dadalo kasi wala naman po siyang tinatago. At may mga ebidensya naman po kami, may mga dokumento na to back up her testimony before the Blue Ribbon Committee po,” he said.
According to Samaniego, Remando’s absence at the initial hearing was not deliberate. The company sent a letter citing personal grief after the death of her foster mother.
“Hindi naman sadya iyon [hindi pagdalo ng hearing] at willing kaming makipag-cooperate,” Samaniego emphasized.
Quadruple A capacity, 'ghost project' not needed
The lawyer also pointed out that St. Timothy, a quadruple A-accredited contractor by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), has the financial and technical capacity to handle projects worth at least ₱450 million.
“Ang St. Timothy ay quadruple A, hindi na po kailangan kumuha ng backer o politician para makakuha ng proyekto. Kayang-kaya po namin lumaban ng parehas, gawa ng ang St. Timothy ay may financial capacity at heavy equipment to mobilize personnel,” Samaniego said.
He further stressed that the company does not subcontract awarded projects nor “lend” its license for royalties.
“Never po kaming nagpapasubcontract. Mahirap po kapag pumalpak ang kausap, lisensya ng kumpanya ang masisira. Hindi rin po kami nagpapahiram ng license o humihingi ng royalty. Kaya po naming mag-undertake kahit gaano kalaking project,” he explained.
On August 15, 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Barangay Bulusan in Calumpit, Bulacan, to inspect the ₱96.4-million River Protection Structure rehabilitation project undertaken by St. Timothy Construction Corporation.
However, Marcos expressed disappointment over the project’s condition, saying it has caused hardship to local communities, and demanded an explanation from St. Timothy Construction Corp. over the incomplete flood-control project.
Kontratista ng palpak na river protection structure sa Bulacan, pinagpapaliwanag ni Pang. @bongbongmarcos | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News#Breaktime
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) August 15, 2025
WATCH: https://t.co/zcgYzCFiTz pic.twitter.com/l6t2YGynXM
Despite the controversy, Samaniego assured the public and the Senate that St. Timothy is prepared to answer all allegations.
“Makakaasa po ang publiko at Blue Ribbon Committee na ang aking kliyente na si Ms. Remando ay dadalo para mabigyan ng kalinawan itong kinakaharap na isyu. Nagtatrabaho lang kami ng maayos, nadamay lang po kami,” he said.
The corporation is among the 15 contractors that cornered ₱100 billion—about 20 percent of the ₱545-billion budget for flood control projects implemented since the start of Marcos’ term in 2022.
