Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday confirmed that at least 421, or over 5 percent, out of some 8,000 infrastructure projects nationwide do not exist, making them “ghost projects.”
This was gleaned from inspections on supposed project sites, currently being jointly conducted by multiple agencies to ensure transparency and accountability in public works projects, particularly in flood control initiatives.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has submitted its findings to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is overseeing the investigations, the Secretary disclosed.
Dizon also noted that the majority of the non-existent or fraudulent projects were intended for flood control.
The DPWH has partnered with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the National Economic and Development Authority in conducting site inspections.
Dizon said the ghost projects were scattered across the country, with a significant number located in Luzon.
He vowed to hold contractors involved in the anomalous projects accountable, with possible penalties amounting to billions of pesos.
“Show-cause orders have been issued to DPWH officials and contractors, and criminal charges are being prepared,” Dizon assured.
Among the penalties facing contractors connected to ghost projects are a perpetual ban from DPWH contracts, possible charges of plunder and syndicated estafa, and potentially billions of pesos in penalties.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday said corruption in the government’s infrastructure program has become so widespread that it is easier to count those who are innocent than those who are guilty.
“Reviewing the piles of ‘classified’ DPWH documents which I shared with my staff, we all wondered aloud if the more appropriate question to ask is, ‘Who is not?’ rather than, ‘Who is guilty?’. So sad to realize how widely corrupt our government infrastructure program has gone,” he said.
The veteran lawmaker cited preliminary findings by Dizon showing that at least 421 of roughly 8,000 infrastructure projects were “ghost projects.”
Lacson also referred to reports raised by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian that over P10 billion worth of farm-to-market road projects in the 2023 and 2024 national budgets were grossly overpriced.
Some of those projects were allegedly priced as much as 23 times higher than the DPWH’s standard cost estimates.
Lacson also detailed various money-making schemes reportedly involving not only senior executives but also lower-ranking DPWH employees.
As this developed, the ICI has formally urged DPWH to lower the contract ceiling for regional and district engineering offices, proposing to halve the current amounts to P200 million and P75 million, respectively, from the current P400 million and P150 million ceilings.
The recommendation was contained in a letter signed by ICI Chair Andres Reyes and addressed to the DPWH Secretary, in which it was also noted that the original threshold for the LOAs was raised during the tenure of former Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Dizon unearths 421 ‘ghost’ infra projects nationwide”
