MANILA, Philippines – Senator Bam Aquino on Tuesday, September 2, urged his colleagues to return the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed 2026 budget, saying it remains tainted with “ghost projects” and duplicate entries.
Aquino made the call after senators flagged numerous duplicate flood control projects in the agency’s proposal. “Kung paulit-ulit ang proyekto at hindi naman nagagawa, ghost project na ‘yan. We should not allow billions in taxpayers’ money to be wasted,” Aquino said.
This comes amid heightened scrutiny of DPWH’s flood control spending. In recent months, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee uncovered alleged anomalies involving multibillion-peso flood control projects, including missing or overpriced drainage systems, contracts awarded to favored contractors, and projects tagged under areas without actual rivers or creeks.
The probe also revealed that some projects were awarded to firms linked to local politicians, including companies accused of cornering billions of pesos in contracts without completing works. In Candaba, Pampanga, former mayor Jerry Pelayo called for a probe into a ₱1.4-billion flood control project awarded to Santo Cristo Construction, citing persistent flooding and complaints from residents.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC), meanwhile, has launched parallel investigations after luxury vehicles linked to contractors surfaced during the Senate hearings, raising suspicions of illicit enrichment.
Aquino warned that if the DPWH budget is approved in its current form, it would only embolden systemic abuse. “We must send a strong signal: no budget for ghost projects, no reward for corruption,” he said.
The Senate is expected to continue deliberations this week, with lawmakers pressing DPWH to explain irregularities in both past and proposed allocations for flood control.