The Office of the Ombudsman has identified Bulacan as the apparent focal point of alleged ghost flood-control projects, as multiple fraud audit reports and criminal cases continue to mount.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said recent developments indicate a pattern centered in the province.
“The way things are unravelling and unfolding, it seems that Bulacan is really the epicenter of ghost projects,” Clavano said.
He added: “If we look at the whole flood-control issue, it seems as though most of the reported ghost projects are in Bulacan.”
Clavano stressed, however, that investigators are not limiting their probe to one area.
“That does not mean we will not look for it in other parts of the country,” he said.
Citizen monitoring cited
Clavano disclosed that various civic groups have been coordinating with the Ombudsman, including Bisto.ph, also known as “Bisto Proyekto,” a citizen-powered monitoring website encouraging the public to track government infrastructure projects.
He likened the platform to a crowdsourcing tool that allows residents to report whether flood-control works in their communities exist or not.
Cases filed
So far, the Ombudsman has filed two cases before the Sandiganbayan involving a P92.8-million flood-control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
The charges include violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and violation of Articles 171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code concerning malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.
Aside from the Bulacan case, authorities have filed two other cases — one also before the Sandiganbayan and another before a regional trial court in Lapu-Lapu City.
Several additional complaints remain under preliminary investigation by the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.
COA reports mount
The Commission on Audit (COA) has also submitted multiple fraud audit reports (FARs) over the past months concerning alleged ghost flood-control projects in Bulacan.
This month, COA filed four FARs with the Ombudsman involving P275 million in alleged ghost projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan District and contractors Syms Construction Trading and Wawao Builders.
In January, COA submitted four FARs to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) covering P325 million in projects, naming Wawao Builders and Darcy and Anna Builders & Trading.
In December, four FARs involving P330 million in projects were shared with the ICI, citing the DPWH Bulacan District and Wawao Builders.
In November, COA submitted four FARs involving P344.35 million in projects allegedly implemented by the DPWH Bulacan District along with contractors Syms Construction Trading, M3 Konstract Corporation, Elite General Contractor & Development Corporation, and Wawao Builders.
In October 2025, COA submitted two reports to the ICI. The first involved four FARs on P351 million worth of allegedly “fully paid” ghost flood-control projects involving Syms Construction Trading, Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., and Triple 8 Construction and Supply Inc.
The second October report covered four FARs on P309.55 million in projects implemented by the DPWH Bulacan District with contractors Syms Construction Trading, L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc., M3 Konstract Corp., and Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading.
COA’s earliest filing in this series dates back to Sept. 8, 2025, when five FARs involving P342.66 million in alleged ghost and substandard flood-control projects were submitted, naming Wawao Builders, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Syms Construction Trading.
The investigations remain ongoing as authorities examine the scope of the alleged irregularities.