PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he expects the arrest of several officials and contractors implicated in the multibillion-peso flood control fund scam “before Christmas.”
“Bago mag-Pasko, marami dito sa napangalanan, palagay ko matatapos na ang kaso nila. Makukulong na sila—wala silang Merry Christmas,” Marcos said in a Palace press briefing.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed multiple graft and malversation cases against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and several contractors involved in ghost projects, overpricing, and bid rigging in flood control programs across Central Luzon, Northern Luzon, and Mindanao.
The first criminal complaints were filed on Sept. 8, based on special audit reports from the DPWH and the Commission on Audit (COA).
Among those charged were former Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office officials Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, John Michael Ramos, Ernesto Galang, and other project engineers.
Private respondents included Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya and Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando of St. Timothy Construction, Mark Allan Arevalo of Wawao Builders, Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading, and Robert Imperio of IM Construction Corp.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has since blacklisted nine companies linked to Discaya, including St. Gerrard Construction, Alpha & Omega, Amethyst Horizon, and Great Pacific Builders, cancelling their PhilGEPS registration.
Marcos said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has referred 37 additional cases to the Ombudsman, implicating lawmakers, former DPWH executives, and major contractors.
By Oct. 3, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) filed 12 cases for bid-rigging and collusion—two against St. Timothy Construction, three against Sunwest Inc., three against Wawao Builders, two against SYMS Construction, and two against IM Construction Corp. The potential penalties could reach PHP3 billion to PHP5 billion, with public auction proceedings set for Nov. 20.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) also received referrals to discipline 16 engineers involved in falsified project designs and supervision.
On Oct. 23, the Ombudsman filed new charges against officials from La Union 2nd and Davao Occidental DEOs, naming Gil Lorenzo, Raul Gali, Rodrigo Larete, and others. Private respondents again included Discaya, Rimando, and Silverwolves Construction Corp. executives Moses Tabucol and Alvin Diego.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) capped the crackdown with PHP8.86 billion in tax evasion cases against 89 contractors and nine DPWH and COA officials on Nov. 6, backed by 98 Letters of Authority for further asset and tax audits.
Marcos emphasized that the government is focused on building airtight cases rather than rushing prosecutions for publicity.
“You don’t file cases for optics,” he said.
