THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) announced Monday that it is set to file more than a dozen cases before the Office of the Ombudsman in the coming weeks in connection with alleged “ghost” flood control projects across the country.
In a press statement, the ICI said at least 15 referrals are ready for filing within the next two to three weeks.
ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the commission has identified 421 suspected ghost projects nationwide — 261 in Luzon, 109 in the Visayas, and 51 in Mindanao — out of more than 8,000 flood control projects implemented from 2018 to 2024.
“The number is based on initial validation conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” Hosaka said.
The majority of the questionable projects are located in Central Luzon (67), Bicol Region (49), and Eastern Visayas (45). In Mindanao, 30 projects under the Davao region are still being evaluated.
According to the ICI, after confirming the existence or nonexistence of these projects through field validation, the next steps include a technical inspection and documentation audit to support case build-up and eventual filing before the Ombudsman.
The process also involves applications for immigration lookout bulletin orders and referrals to other oversight bodies such as the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and the Insurance Commission (IC).
