Charges cover La Union, Davao Occidental flood control projects
The Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday filed two non-bailable cases of malversation, graft, and falsification of public funds before the Office of the Ombudsman over two anomalous flood-control projects in Davao Occidental and La Union.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the cases will cover 22 government officials and contractors, including Sarah Discaya.
“[The first] case is on the project in La Union involving Silverwolves Corporation. If you recall this was a project that was visited several week ago which was found to be very substandard but already fully paid even if it was not yet completed,” Dizon said in a press conference that was attended by Ombudsman Crispin Remulla and Independent Commission for Infrastructure chairperson Andres Reyes Jr.
“The other case is on the Davao Occidental case which we visited and this one clearly a ghost project involving St. Timothy, one of the corporations of the Discaya couple,” he said.
He said both non-bailable cases carry a similar penalty of life imprisonment.
Remulla, for his part, said a “person of interest” in the P96.5 million La Union flood control project is Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, despite having divested from Silverwolves Construction Corp.
“He divested from it a few years ago supposedly but there is reason to suspect he is still the beneficial owner of the company. So, this is a clear case of conflict of interest also,” the Ombudsman said.
The Davao Occidental project, on the other hand, only started construction when the flood infrastructure mess was exposed.
“After the news erupted, they tried to start working on the projects. So they started working on the projects after the scandal had already broken out…It’s really a ghost project,” Remulla said.
Dizon said the project was bid out in 2021 and was awarded to the Discaya-owned St. Timothy Corp. in 2022.
As this developed, Remulla said his office is also studying possible conflict of interest cases against Senators Mark Villar, a former DPWH secretary, and Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, whose father owns CLTG Builders that partnered with the Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction.
“Were doing a study on that already, on conflict of interest when you have a relative contracting with the government and you are in power or in a position to mediate or grant favor. Conflict of interest is always part of the law on graft,” Remulla said in a separate television interview.
“Some of these cases will be really controversial… and some will be the elephant in the room.”
“Conflict of interest is something we should all avoid as people doing a job in government. One of the basic tenets of good governance is avoiding conflict of interest,” the Ombudsman added.
Meanwhile, Remulla said a former district lawmaker from Quezon City is ready to “tell all” he knows about the flood-control project mess.
“He will pinpoint (those involved),” he said.
