ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA: DTI files raps vs 8 contractors
Department of Trade and Industry on Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City/ Wikimedia Commons, Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0
WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIxzVn0onBc
DTI Files Complaints Against 8 Contractors in Flood Control Scandal: Full List & Details
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has filed charges against eight contractors for their reported involvement in anomalies in flood control projects.In a statement, the DTI said that in the exercise of its regulatory authority under Executive Order 913 and other relevant trade and industry laws, it filed charges against Legacy Construction Corp., Centerways Construction & Development Inc., Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp., MG Samidan Construction, L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc., QM Builders, EGB Construction Corp. and Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp. for their possible violation of construction industry regulations.
They were among the top 15 contractors that got the lion’s share of all flood control projects undertaken in the past three years, as disclosed by President Marcos in August.
With the filing of charges, the DTI is authorized to take immediate preventive actions, including suspending the licenses of the contractors.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque emphasized that the recent action reflects the
department’s strong commitment to fairness, accountability and integrity in the construction sector.
“The DTI will not allow any contractor to undermine the safety and quality of our nation’s infrastructure. Every project must reflect competence, honesty and compliance with standards. These actions send a clear message that only those who build with integrity have a place in the Philippine construction industry,” she said.
Roque said the move is part of the DTI’s ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the law and promote fair competition in the construction industry.
The DTI said it is also set to file formal charges against eight other firms – Triple 8 Construction & Supply Inc., Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., Sunwest Inc., Road Edge Trading & Development Services, SYMS Construction Trading, Wawao Builders Corp., Royal Crown Monarch Construction and Supplies Corp. and St. Timothy Construction Corp. – for their alleged participation in similar flood control project anomalies.
These firms – except for SYMS – are among the contractors that cornered a large share of flood control projects.
@[email protected]
Earlier, the DTI placed the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board and the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines under her direct supervision following the discovery of anomalies in flood control projects.
More ghost projects
Meanwhile, in an audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA) submitted to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), four flood control projects in Bulacan worth P309.55 million have been found to be fictitious or “ghost projects.”
Dismissed officials and engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) linked to the anomaly “may face charges for graft and corruption under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code, as well as violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 and the Government Procurement Reform Act,” COA said.
Recommended by COA for prosecution were dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara, assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, Planning and Design chief Ernesto Galang, Construction Section chief Jaypee Mendoza, accountant Juanito Mendoza, project engineer Lemuel Ephraim Roque and engineers John Michael Ramos, Jolo Mari Tayao, Irene Ontingco, Joshua Blitz Roxas and Prince Earl Deocampo.
Also found liable by COA were private contractors Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading, Luisito Tiquia of the joint venture of L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc. and M3 Konstract Corp. and Darcy Kimel Respicio of Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading.
One of the “ghost” flood control projects in Bulacan was along Balagtas River Purok 2, Barangay San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan with a total contract cost of P46.353 million awarded to SYMS Construction.
@[email protected]
The COA said full payment was released to the contractor “despite the absence of any real accomplishment.”
“DPWH’s own Project and Contract Management Application website showed 0.00 percent project completion and tagged it as on-going… At the DPWH pinpointed site, COA found a structure that was wholly made up of unsuitable materials and exposed steel bars. COA also inspected the original approved location and did not find any flood control structure,” the audit body said.
Fully paid but non-existent
Also flagged by the audit body was a flood control structure project along Maycapiz-Taliptip River, Barangay Perez amounting to P92.585 million and awarded also to SYMS Construction.
“Similar to the previous case, this project was neither implemented nor constructed despite being reported as 100 percent accomplished and fully paid,” the COA said.
The third ghost project was a riverbank protection structure in Barangay Piel in Baliuag with a contract cost of P96.499 million.
The project, awarded to the joint venture of L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc. and M3 Konstract Corp., was for the construction of riverbank protection structure spanning 228.40 linear meters and a concrete bridge.
Satellite imagery taken on Feb. 29, 2024 or just 22 days after the supposed contract effectivity date, showed that there was already an existing flood control structure at the approved location.
“During COA’s inspection last Sept. 23, 2025, DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO representatives pinpointed a different project site to COA. The pinpointed site did not match the location stated in the DPWH as-built plans which were provided to COA,” the report read.
“Despite this, COA proceeded to inspect the erroneously identified site by DPWH, where it found an existing structure that utterly failed to meet the project specifications,” it added.
The audit body also flagged a riverbank protection structure project in Barangay Carillo in Hagonoy with a contract cost of P74.111 million awarded to Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading.
The audit body said satellite images showed no structure built at the approved project site.
“COA’s inspection confirmed this during the visit on Oct.15, 2025, noting that no riverbank protection structure or any sign of construction work could be seen, even though the project was supposed to be completed by Oct. 3, 2024,” the report read.
The COA said DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO failed to provide the audit team with any documents that could explain the noted irregularities.
“These audit findings will aid the ICI in its investigation of irregularities in government infrastructure projects. The Commission further clarified that more individuals may be held liable as the audit progresses and new information becomes available,” the COA said.
In the Davao Region, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. inspected on Friday two farm-to-market road projects and found one not existing and the other being hastily completed.
@[email protected]
Tiu Laurel conducted the inspection on the sidelines of the launch of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” program.
Despite being funded with P12 million and P15 million, “one road was really nowhere to be found, while the other still had freshly poured cement,” Tiu Laurel said.
He said he would seek explanation from the DPWH district engineers in coordination with Secretary Vince Dizon.
The agriculture chief said the road projects could have helped farmers increase their income and reduce the cost of their production.
According to data from the DA, only around 70,000 of the targeted 131,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads have been completed. “It may take decades to bridge the remaining gap,” the DA said. — Elizabeth Marcelo, Ghio Ong
Ads by:
Memento Maxima Digital Marketing
