The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is tracing the assets of 27 officials and contractors linked to anomalous flood control projects as part of efforts to recover millions in stolen public funds.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said Thursday, Sept. 18, that the agency had written to the Land Registration Authority (LRA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and Land Transportation Office (LTO) to verify properties registered under the names of individuals facing complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman.

The request aims to prevent dissipation, removal, or disposal of assets suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Properties under scrutiny include registered vehicles such as cars and yachts, aircraft including planes and helicopters, watercraft, and real estate owned by former and current DPWH officials, as well as implicated contractors.

Dizon said the process would also serve as a template for similar cases.

“Kailangan din po malaman natin ito at eventually ma-freeze din po ang mga assets na ito, kasi kailangan po nating masigurado na mababawi po, lahat po ng puwede nating bawiin sa mga nagnakaw ng pondo ng bayan eh mababawi natin (We also need to identify and eventually freeze these assets to ensure that all possible proceeds taken from public funds are recovered),” he said.

“Kung meron po tayong mga ebidensya na magpo-point sa mga dummy nila o sa mga potensiyal na kasama nila, pati po iyon ihahabol po natin lahat yan (If we find evidence pointing to their dummies or potential accomplices, we will pursue all of them as well),” he added.

Dizon expected to receive the compiled list from the agencies in the coming days.

Once consolidated, it will be forwarded to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Ombudsman, and Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to support potential asset freezes and strengthen case building.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, Dizon accompanied the Commission on Audit (COA) to the Office of the Ombudsman and submitted another batch of complaints against individuals linked to irregularities.

“Hopefully po, bilisan po ng ating mga justice agencies tulad ng Ombudsman ang pag-fa-file ng mga kaso dahil naniniwala po kami sa tibay ng ebidensya ng mga kasong ito (We hope that our justice agencies, such as the Ombudsman, will expedite filing these cases as we are confident in the strength of the evidence),” he said.

The probe also covers former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, whose name surfaced in Senate and House hearings.

Dizon clarified that resignation does not absolve accountability if evidence warrants and emphasized that officials and contractors, past or present, remain liable if implicated in anomalous projects.

Officials under scrutiny include former DPWH OIC-Assistant Regional Director Henry Alcantara, former OIC District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, former OIC-Assistant District Engineer Jaypee Mendoza, Construction Section Chief John Michael Ramos, and Ernesto Galang of the Planning and Design Section.

Other personnel include Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Norberto Santos, Jaime Hernandez, Floralyn Simbulan, Juanito Mendoza, Roberto Roque, Benedict Matawaran, Christina Mae Pineda, Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Jason Laus, Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Benex Francisco, and Jolo Mari Tayao.

Contractors under investigation include St. Timothy Construction Corp.'s Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando, Cezarah "Sarah" Rowena Discaya, Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya II; Wawao Builders' Mark Allan Arevalo; SYMS Construction Trading's Sally Santos; and IM Construction Corp.'s Robert Imperio.

“This preemptive action is necessary to safeguard assets from disposal and ensure that ongoing government efforts to combat corruption and money laundering are not undermined,” Dizon said.