'Kasuhan na yan!' Tulfo tells DOJ to charge contractors, public execs linked to 'ghost' flood control projects
At A Glance
- Senator Erwin Tulfo is prodding the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file charges against various individuals, including contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and politicians who are involved in alleged "ghost" and substandard flood control projects.
Senator Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)
Senator Erwin Tulfo is prodding the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file charges against various individuals, including contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and politicians who are involved in alleged "ghost" and substandard flood control projects.
In an interview Monday, Aug. 25, Tulfo stated, “They stole trillions of pesos from the Filipino people, so they must be held accountable.”
“The revelations made by President Bongbong Marcos and Senator Panfilo Lacson regarding ghost and substandard projects are already enough grounds to file charges and jail those involved,” added the vice chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
For Tulfo, the act of pocketing such a huge amount of public funds shouldn't go unpunished.
“If a shoplifter can be jailed for stealing something worth less than a hundred pesos, then those who plundered trillions in public funds must face even harsher consequences.”
According to DPWH reports, ₱1.2 trillion has been spent on flood control projects from 2011 up to the present.
President Marcos revealed that only 15 contractors cornered 20 percent of these projects, amounting to roughly ₱100 billion.
Five contractors are reportedly leasing out their licenses, including Legacy Construction Corp., Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development, St. Timothy Construction, EGB Construction, and Road Edge Trading & Development Services.
Meanwhile, three contractors were allegedly involved in ghost or non-existent flood control projects in Bulacan, as earlier exposed by Senator Lacson. These are Wawao Builders, SYMS Construction, and Darcy and Anna Builders.
“At the end of the day, the blame lies with certain politicians. Because of the excessive kickbacks they demanded—ranging from 20 to 25 percent—contractors were forced to deliver substandard work or worse, no project at all,” Tulfo concluded.