COA fraud audit tags 4 more flood infra projects in Bulacan
The Commission on Audit (COA) has uncovered four more anomalous public works projects worth nearly P400 million in Bulacan province involving two of the 15 top contractors earlier identified by President Marcos.
COA Chair Gamaliel Cordoba, together with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, on Thursday filed fraud audit reports against contractors, TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc. and Wawao Builders, with the Office of the Ombudsman.
Three slope protection structure waterway projects of TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc—worth P98,999,508.95, P98,999,012.87 and P98,999,038.56—were found to be anomalous by the state auditing agency.
One such project in Barangay Bunsuran, Pandi town, “did not match the approved bid plan,” and was considered to be “another ghost project,” the COA said in a statement.
Two other similar projects along Bocaue River in Barangay Bambang, Bulacan town, had an official start date of April 23, 2024, but the COA found out that a slope protection structure was already existing in the same area.
Liability
According to the COA, former Bulacan first district engineering office district engineer Henry Alcantara and former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, as well as TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc., its officers and members of the board were liable for these three projects.
Also liable for the Bunsuran project were engineers Jolo Mari Tayao, Lemuel Ephraim Roque and John Michael Ramos of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Those being held liable for the two Bambang projects were DPWH-Bulacan first district’s quality assurance section chief Norberto Santos, maintenance section chief Jaime Hernandez, and construction section chief Jaypee Mendoza.
TopNotch Catalyst Builders Inc. ranked sixth among the top 15 contractors that bagged the most number of flood control projects in the last three years, according to the list released by President Marcos last month.
The COA also found out that a P92.6-million flood control structure in Angat River, Sipat Section in Plaridel town, was still being constructed even though it was reported to have been completed on June 11, 2024. It was undertaken by Wawao Builders, which ranked 12th on the list.
The COA further said that historical satellite imagery showed no flood control structures in the area as of April 7, 2025.
