DOJ: Only 14 validated as true ‘ghost’ infra projects
Of 421 projects initially tagged as “ghost” flood control projects, only 14 so far have been confirmed to be truly nonexistent, according to Fredderick Vida, acting chief of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Vida gave this update at the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Monday.
The panel chair, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, previously accused former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan of supplying “grossly inaccurate data” involving these 421 ghost projects.
“Currently, the Department of Justice has identified 14 projects through the collection of pieces of evidence. [These are] the 14 projects that we are convinced to be ghost projects,” Vida told the panel. “We pulled this from the initial list of 421 [reported ghost projects].”
DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III added that “just to set the record straight, those that have been the subject of cases before the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan are really ghost projects.”
Strong remarks
Monday’s hearing kicked off with strong remarks from Lacson, who defended the panel from “skeptics, detractors, and hijackers” as it probes the multibillion-peso corruption scandal involving flood control projects.
In his opening statement, Lacson said the personalities who branded the committee as useless insulted not only its members but Filipinos who were watching the developments closely.
“As the chairman of this committee, I say to you, shut the F up,” he said, before marking the official start of the hearing.
Bonoan’s appearance
Lacson did not name names, but in previous days Sen. Imee Marcos had publicly criticized the committee repeatedly.
Bonoan returned to the country from the United States and appeared before the blue ribbon panel on Monday in compliance with a subpoena requiring him to attend the investigation.
Bonoan is at the center of the flood control projects controversy not just as the former head of the agency responsible for these projects, but also for allegedly providing misleading project data and receiving kickbacks.
Earlier, Lacson said he received reliable information that Bonoan had deliberately submitted to Malacañang incorrect grid coordinates of thousands of flood control projects all over the country, which formed part of the Sumbong sa Pangulo website—a move that allegedly resulted in grossly inaccurate data involving some 421 ghost projects.
Bonoan, who resigned his post on Sept. 1 last year, was implicated by former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who claimed that Bonoan had control over insertions in the National Expenditure Program.
According to the DOJ, Bonoan is among the personalities facing plunder complaints in connection with the flood control mess.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said Bonoan is a “co-respondent of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada” in the case filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, along with former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.
Apart from plunder, charges of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees were also filed against them.
Show cause orders
Meanwhile, following their nonappearance at the Senate blue ribbon panel hearing, Co and witness Orly Guteza have been issued show cause orders by the committee.
Lacson said the upper chamber may issue an arrest warrant for both should they once again fail to give a satisfactory reason for their absence.
Co’s whereabouts remain unknown, but Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier bared that the former lawmaker was believed to be in Portugal.
Guteza, meanwhile, was introduced to the blue ribbon panel as Co’s former security consultant. He was the lone resource person to implicate former Speaker Martin Romualdez in the flood control scandal, alleging that the lawmaker also received kickbacks from government projects. Romualdez had earlier denied Guteza’s allegation.
Custody of Alcantara
For its part, the DOJ said it asked the Senate for permission to assume custody of dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, who, according to Vida, has been accepted to the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).
Alcantara is still detained at the Senate on a contempt charge.
“Notwithstanding his [WPP] coverage, the Senate still has jurisdiction over him,” said Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon. But once the panel is done with the investigation and the Senate goes on recess, the DOJ intends to assume custody of Alcantara to ensure the “protection of the witness.”
