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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Criminal, administrative liability in flood control projects issue could reach COA--Ridon

Criminal, administrative liability in flood control projects issue could reach COA--Ridon

Published Aug 22, 2025 12:52 pm

At A Glance

  • Criminal and administrative liability in the flood control projects issue will cast a wide net, and could involve those who supposedly erred within the Commission on Audit (COA), says House infra comm co-chairman Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (PPAB)
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (PPAB)


Criminal and administrative liability in the flood control projects issue will cast a wide net, and could involve those who supposedly erred within the Commission on Audit (COA), says House infra comm co-chairman Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.
Ridon laid out the extent of the much-awaited House inquiry in a press conference Thursday, Aug. 21.
"Sino yung mga personalidad na kasangkot dito o kasali dito? Mapag-uusapan dyan, sino yung pumirma ng kontrata? Sino ho yung nagpatupad po ng bidding procedure? Sino ho yung nag-inspect dito ho sa mga proyektong ito?" he said.
(Who are the personalities involved in this? This will be discussed, who signed the contract? Who implemented the bidding procedure? Who inspected these projects?)
Ridon continued: "Sino ho yung nagsabi na OK natong proyekto na ito, hindi ho ba? At syempre sa dulo, talaga bang OK na yung proyekto na ito, hindi ho ba? (Who declared that this project was OK, right? And of course, in the end, was this project really OK, wasn’t it?)."
Ridon said that as far as ghost projects regarding flood control are concerned, "each and every person from the beginning to the end of these projects will have actual administrative and criminal liability".
"Ibig sabihin yung persons ho na nakapirma doon sa mga kontrata ng isang ghost project; yung mga tao po na kasali sa bidding team, bidding committee noon pong proyektong ito; yun pong kontratista na nanalo po, kumuha ng cheke sa proyekto pong ito; yun pong Commission on Audit na nagsabing OK ang proyektong ito; lahat po sila may aktuwal na administratibo at kriminal na pananagutan sa mga ghost projects pong ito," he said.
(That means the individuals who signed the contracts for a ghost project; the people who were part of the bidding team or bidding committee for this project; the contractor who won and received a check for this project; the Commission on Audit that declared the project as OK. all of them have actual administrative and criminal accountability for these ghost projects.)
Ridon chairs the Committee on Public Accounts, one of the three panels that comprise the House infra comm or tri-committee in the 20th Congress.
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