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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider No 'ghosts' here: Atayde says DPWH projects in his district are above board

No 'ghosts' here: Atayde says DPWH projects in his district are above board

Published Oct 28, 2025 12:52 pm

At A Glance

  • There are no "ghost" projects in the first congressional district of Quezon City. This was Congressman Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde's simple but serious assertion on Tuesday, Oct. 28 following a personal inspection of seven flood control and drainage projects in his district.
Quezon City 1st district Rep. Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde (PPAB)
Quezon City 1st district Rep. Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde (PPAB)


There are no "ghost" projects in the first congressional district of Quezon City.
This was Congressman Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde's simple but serious assertion on Tuesday, Oct. 28 following a personal inspection of seven flood control and drainage projects in his district.
"There are no ghost projects with us. There's no ghost in district pne. There's no basis for claims that these are nonexistent. Maybe there's just a need for proper coordination so information about the projects is accurate," Atayde said after visiting sites in Barangay Bahay Toro, Del Monte, Project 6, and San Antonio.
Atayde's inspection confirmed findings from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Quezon City 1st District Engineering Office, which stated in a Sept. 19 letter that "all projects are verifiable on site".
This referred to the seven projects that were questioned due to alleged lack of coordinates.
Atayde, a former actor, was linked to the flood control projects corruption scandal by controversial contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya.
According to the DPWH, out of 66 alleged ghost projects reported in the media, only seven were located in Atayde's district, where all of them were found to be completed or ongoing, with proper documentation, correct coordinates, and photographic evidence.
Verified projects included four flood control structures along Culiat Creek and Dario Creek in Barangay Bahay Toro, rehabilitation of Drainage Road 3 in Project 6, the West Riverside Pumping Station in Barangay Del Monte, and a flood control structure along San Francisco River in Barangay San Antonio.
Atayde said five of the seven projects were completed, while two were suspended due to pending issues.
He also visited two additional flood control projects to assess their status – one completed along Dario Creek and one suspended along Mariblo Creek.
The Quezon City congressman assured his constituents that public funds were used properly and allegations of ghost projects were "baseless".
"The projects are not ghosts – they can be seen, touched, and are beneficial. It looks like Halloween came early for some people," Atayde said.
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