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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Paombong gov't seeks ICI help in probing 'ghost' flood projects

Paombong gov't seeks ICI help in probing 'ghost' flood projects

Published Oct 23, 2025 03:18 pm

At A Glance

  • Officials from the local government of Paombong, Bulacan are seeking help from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate at least 10 alleged ghost flood control projects in their municipality as residents demand accountability over the persistent floods in their area.
Officials from the local government of Paombong, Bulacan are seeking help from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate at least 10 alleged "ghost" flood control projects in their municipality as residents demand accountability over the persistent floods in their area.
Paombong government officials—particularly members of the municipal council—filed a report to the ICI regarding the reportedly P700 million worth of non-existent flood control projects.
The report was submitted to the ICI on Thursday, Oct. 23, by lawyer Izay Nunag, secretary of Paombong municipal council.
"Naka-agenda po to samin (sa municipal council). At nagkaroon na po ng ocular inspection. Lahat po ng report ng committee meeting at committee hearing ay nasubmit namin sa ICI para makatulong po sa investigation (This was part of the council's agenda. And we've already conducted an ocular inspection. We have submitted all the reports from the committee meeting and committee hearing to the ICI to help with the investigation)," Nunag told reporters at the ICI following the submission of their report.
"Report po (ito) ng mga nangyari po, o ng mga inenpeksyon, o mga na discover na-alleged flood control projects sa Bulacan (This is a report about what we discovered during the inspections on alleged flood control projects in Bulacan)," she added.
According to Nunag, they conducted ocular inspections of nearly a dozen supposed flood control projects reported to the Sumbong sa Pangulo website—a website created to provide a list of all flood projects across the country.
The projects were supposedly carried out from 2022 to 2025, she said.
Paombong is under the jurisdiction of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, where controversial engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, and Jaypee Mendoza had served.
Nunag said the move was initiated by Vice Mayor JC Castro, the head of the municipal council. Castro belonged to a political party that was different from that of Paombong Mayor Mac Marcos, member of the Marcos political clan in Paombong.
"Hindi ko po kayang sagutin (I cannot answer that)," Nunag said in response to the media's inquiry why the move wasn't led by the municipal mayor. 
"Kasi po initiate namin ito. Alam po natin na ang legislative part ng LGU ay ang Sangguniang Bayan (We initiated it. The legislative part of the local government unit is the municipal council)... we have the authority to inquire in aid of legislation po. So ito po ang naging means po ng Sangguniang Bayan (So this became the means for the municipal council)," she immediately clarified.
In their request letter to the ICI, Nunag said they asked for assistance "to address the problem and be clarified regarding the status of flood control projects" in the municipality.
During several anti-corruption rallies in Bulacan, residents of Paombong had taken to the streets and even staged a protest in front of the municipal hall.
"Hindi lang taon taon. Maraming beses sa isang taon [na binabaha] (It's not only every year, but many times in a given year that we suffer from flooding)," Nunag said.
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