- ICI probe into Davao Region’s ‘ghost projects’ will continue
DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed that Davao Occidental will only be the first of multiple investigations into possible ghost projects in Southern Mindanao.
In a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 25, he explained that a planned visit to the local district engineer’s office had to be postponed due to the delay in the on-site inspection in Davao Occidental, where a fully-paid but non-existent flood control project over P90 million was discovered.
The project was declared finished in 2022, and the contractor, the Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction Corp., received the full payment.
“We are looking into that. In fact, we are supposed to visit the district engineer’s office today, but we don’t have time anymore because we were there for a long time,” Dizon said, referring to the Davao Occidental site inspection.
The statement comes amid heightened scrutiny of the agency’s flood control spending following a string of recent discoveries of substandard and ghost projects in various parts of the Philippines.
Dizon reiterated his firm stance that the investigation, which includes assistance from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), will follow reports of irregularities wherever they lead.
However, he clarified that the nationwide crackdown on anomalous infrastructure projects is not solely focused on the Davao Region, despite the high-profile discovery of a suspected “ghost project” in Davao Occidental.
Dizon affirmed the agency’s commitment to investigating corruption across the country, even as the Davao Occidental case consumed much of their time.
“Of course not, we are focusing on the entire country,” Secretary Dizon stated when asked if there were orders to specifically target Davao City. “It’s not easy, but we got reports here [referring to Davao Occidental]. In the same way, we have reports in La Union, we have reports in Mindoro, we have reports in Eastern Samar.”
Meanwhile, Dizon said they will file charges like malversation of public funds, graft, and violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act against DPWH officials and the contractor in connection with the ghost project on Monday, Sept. 29.
Photo from ICI
