P96.5-M Discaya ‘ghost project’ found in Davao Occidental
A P96.5-million flood control project in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, was found to have begun construction only three weeks ago, despite having been declared completed and fully paid for since 2022.
The site was marked as a “ghost project” by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong after he conducted an inspection of the project along with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday morning.
Magalong is serving as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the fact-finding body formed by President Marcos to look into irregularities in infrastructure projects.
St. Timothy project
According to the ICI, Magalong immediately ordered the suspension of the construction work after declaring the area a “crime scene.” The concrete revetment wall project was meant to mitigate flooding and erosion in the area.
A check with the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website showed that the project’s contractor was St. Timothy Construction Corp.
St. Timothy, whose license has been revoked since Sept. 1, is among the nine construction firms owned or controlled by Curlee and Sarah Discaya, the contractors at the center of the alleged massive corruption in public works projects.
The website also said the Davao Occidental project was completed and fully paid for in 2022.
However, during the inspection, Magalong himself asked nearby residents when the construction for the project actually started. The residents said it was “three weeks ago.”
‘Come forward now’
Dizon, for his part, encouraged officials involved in similar ghost projects to “come forward now,” warning that the ICI “will catch you, you will be caught.”
“I don’t care if every DE (district engineer) in the Philippines is gone. If it’s necessary, we will remove every one of them,” he added.
Dizon and Magalong did not push through with the inspection of another project site in Davao City, but the ICI said it would get documents from the DPWH local office.
On Wednesday, the two officials went to Tondo in Manila to check the Sunog Apog pumping station.
According to Dizon, the project, which was funded in 2017 and declared completed and fully paid for in 2020, only worsened flooding in District 2 of the city.
“Since 2020 until now, it has never worked. Who wouldn’t be angry about this?” Dizon said.
Earlier, the ICI had also inspected flood control projects in the towns of Arayat and Candaba in Pampanga.
