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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pangilinan: Senate justice panel to look into COA commissioner Lipana's involvement in flood control mess

Pangilinan: Senate justice panel to look into COA commissioner Lipana's involvement in flood control mess

Published Sep 24, 2025 01:06 pm

At A Glance

  • Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana may have committed an impeachable offense if its true that he facilitated some P1.4-billion worth of budget insertions for flood control projects, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said.


Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana may have committed an impeachable offense if its true that he facilitated some P1.4-billion worth of budget insertions for flood control projects, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said on Wednesday, September 24.

Pangilinan made the remark in light of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara’s testimony on Lipana’s involvement in the flood control projects during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Lipana’s wife, Marilou, serves as the president and general manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corporation, and has reportedly bagged P200-million worth of flood control projects from the DPWH.

“We should perhaps refer the matter of Commissioner Lipana’s involvement based on the testimony of Engineer Alcantara to the Committee on Justice because this looks like an impeachable offense,” Pangilinan said at the hearing on the multi-billion flood control corruption issue.

Pangilinan is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. During the hearing, he asked Alcantara on the veracity of his claims which the senator also t

“Mr. Chairman, I understand he was an incumbent commissioner ng Commission on Audit. Tama ba yun (Is that right)? Commissioner ng COA na lumalako ng flood control na projects sa inyo sa district sa Bulacan. Tama ba yun (A COA commissioner who is peddling flood control projects in your district of Bualacan. Is that right)?” the senator asked Alcantara.

“Dahil kayo ay inau-audit ng COA di ba? Paano magiging maayos ang audit kung mayroon hinihiling na proyekto sa inyo di ba (Because you are being audited by COA right? How can there be a truthful audit if a project is being asked from you)?” he added.

Alcantara, when further asked by the senator, revealed that Lipana first reached out to him in 2022 to ask for a list of flood control projects under his jurisdiction.

The dismissed district engineer revealed that based on the list of projects he provided Lipana, the insertions amounted to P1.4 billion—P500-million in 2023, P400-million in 2024, and P500-million in 2025.

Related Tags

COA flood control probe DPWH Kiko Pangilinan
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