CEBU CITY – Former Cebu third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia pushed back against allegations that there are ghost projects in Balamban town, western Cebu province.

Garcia was reacting to a recent announcement by the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7) disclosing two alleged ghost projects in Barangay Singsing.

No public officials were named but the NBI-7 said the result of its investigation has been forwarded to the Department of Justice for appropriate action.

Balamban belongs to the province’s third district where Garcia’s wife is the incumbent congresswoman.

Garcia said he waited for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to address the issue but since the agency stayed mum.

“I felt it my duty to inform the public of what I know. The facts are simple: There are no ghost projects. These two projects have been implemented, completed, turned over, accepted by the LGUs concerned and audited by the Commission on Audit (COA),” said Garcia in a Facebook post.

Garcia also posted photos of flood control projects erected in Singsing.

“Naagi-an na kini sa mga baha atol sa bagyong Tino, ug wala kini matumpag ug nagpabiling nagbarog (They had gone through flooding during typhoon Tino and they were not destroyed),” Garcia said.

According to the NBI-7, geographic coordinates specified in one contract did not match, saying that one project was built in a barangay that was not stipulated in the contract.

But for Garcia, the conflict stems from the varying stands of the NBI and DPWH regarding the locations of the projects.

Garcia said the geotagging application used by the DPWD showed that projects are in Singsing in accordance with the project title in the General Appropriations Act.

But for the NBI, the projects expanded several meters to neighboring Cantuod, Balamban on the same river, Garcia said.

“The two projects exist and have been used especially during the flood. For me it’s not the definition of a ghost project,” said Garcia.

Garcia said a joint inspection by the NBI, DPWH, and COA could have disproved allegations of ghost projects.

“Jointly, let us see with our own eyes, and not through speculation, whether the projects are really there,” Garci said.

Garcia also appealed to avoid the reckless use of terms ghost projects.

“It is a highly charged and emotional term, and careers of professional civil servants are at stake. Never mind us politicians because our reputations are, deservedly or not, already tarnished by damaged political institutions. It is the civil servants’ careers and futures, however, that we should protect from unwarranted accusations,” Garcia said.