Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque is once again under the spotlight after records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) revealed that his construction company secured nearly ₱1.9 billion worth of government projects from 2022 to 2024, including big-ticket flood control works in Bulacan.
Data show that several of these projects expired in 2024 without completion, raising questions about delivery and accountability. Maglanque admitted that his firm Globalcrete Builders Inc. won the contracts but was quick to deny allegations of ghost projects and links to gambling.
The controversy adds fuel to long-running criticisms against the Pampanga mayor, who was previously tagged in the Janet Napoles pork barrel scam during his stint as a congressman.
Former Candaba mayor Jerry Pelayo has publicly challenged Maglanque and Vice Mayor Thelma Macapagal to spearhead a local probe into the ₱1.4-billion flood control project in Candaba awarded to Santo Cristo Construction. Pelayo, who said residents had raised numerous complaints about substandard or non-functional structures, stressed that the investigation should be free from politics and focus solely on accountability.
“The people of Candaba deserve answers. Mayor Maglanque and the council must investigate this project and uncover the truth,” Pelayo said, adding that thousands of residents have complained about flooding and damaged roads linked to the questionable works.
With billions of pesos in taxpayer-funded projects and unfinished contracts under his belt, Maglanque is facing mounting pressure to prove that his company’s projects were aboveboard — and that Candabeños are not paying the price for another flood control scandal.