The Commission on Audit (COA) on Friday announced it has filed four “damning” fraud audit reports with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), detailing significant irregularities in four flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.
The reports cover instances of project site discrepancies, potential double-counting of accomplishments, and a severe lack of crucial documentation. These likewise implicate multiple DPWH officials and private contractors.
The commission initiated the audits under a directive from COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba on August 12.
Focusing on all DPWH flood control projects in Bulacan from July 2022 to May 2025, their findings are expected to play a crucial role in the ICI’s ongoing investigation into irregularities in government infrastructure projects.
Among the key findings from the fraud audit reports is SYMS Construction Trading’s construction of a P92.88-million flood control structure along the Angat River in Pulilan, Bulacan.
A September 16 COA inspection found a project site that was different from the approved location, with no explanation provided for the change. The commission also discovered that a slope-protection structure already existed at the approved location before the contract’s effectivity on February 25, which raised concerns about potential double-counted accomplishments.
Those identified as potentially liable include District Engineer Henry Alcantara, Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang, Engineer III John Michael Ramos, Project Engineer Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Engineer II Jolo Mari Tayao, and Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading.
Individuals named in the reports may face charges for graft and corruption under Republic Act 3019, malversation, and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code, as well as
violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 and the Government Procurement Reform Act.
For its part, the COA emphasized that the initial list of liable persons is not final and may expand as its audit progresses, or new information becomes available.
“The audit’s findings will be crucial for the ongoing investigation conducted by the ICI against those involved in irregularities in government infrastructure projects. As COA fulfills its mandate and continues to answer President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for the proper use of public funds, the public can expect more fraud audit reports to be filed with the ICI,” the COA said.
