ACT Teachers Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio today revealed serious irregularities in flood control projects implemented along the Davao and Matina Rivers from 2019 to 2022.
According to an analysis conducted by Rep. Tinio and his team using data from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and budget documents, out of a partial dataset of 121 flood control contracts worth P6.06 billion along the two rivers, 80 contracts worth P4.35 billion exhibit serious red flags.
“Our analysis reveals a pattern of irregularities that demands explanation and accountability,” stated Tinio. “There are indicators that point to ghost projects, double funding, location changes, gross overpricing, and contracts awarded without clear specifications.”
The investigation found that of the 121 flood control projects, 79 projects worth P4.07 billion were congressional insertions not included in the original National Expenditure Program (NEP). These projects were implemented in the 1st Legislative District of Davao City, represented by Cong. Paolo Duterte.
Five categories of red flags were identified:
1) Total Overlap: Two contracts worth P135.14 million funded construction on identical river sections, with one 2019 project covering a section of the Davao river, while a 2020 project covered the same section plus additional areas.
2) Double Funding: Two contracts worth P115.09 million were awarded to different contractors for the exact same project location (“revetment along Davao River at the Davao River Bridge upstream section”).
3) Changed Location and Shortchanging: Nine contracts worth P484.04 million were implemented at different locations than specified in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), often with significantly reduced coverage. For example, one GAA item allocated P30 million for 375 meters of revetment, but the actual contract covered only 120 meters—a shortfall of 255 meters while charging P161,250 per meter instead of the budgeted P80,000.
4) Awarded Contracts Without Details: A staggering 62 contracts worth P3.44 billion were awarded without proper specifications (such as exact location and length) in official records, making verification and accountability difficult.
5) Awarded Contracts Not in GAA: Ten contracts worth P622.57 million were implemented despite having no corresponding line items in the approved national budget.
Rep. Tinio pointed out that along the Davao River alone, 54 out of 68 implemented projects worth P2.65 billion are red-flagged. For the Matina River, 26 out of 28 implemented projects worth P1.70 billion exhibit irregularities.
Among the contractors repeatedly appearing in flagged projects are RELY CONSTRUCTION & SUPPLY INC. (5 contracts, P400.85 million); LEGACY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (7 contracts, P350.99 million) and one of the top 15 contractors in the Sumbong sa Pangulo website; and ABU CONSTRUCTION (8 contracts, P321.30 million). ST. TIMOTHY CONSTRUCTION (P96,498, 186) and ALPHA AND OMEGA CONSTRUCTION (90,481,680), both known as Discaya firms, are also contractors, along with ALFREGO BUILDERS, the firm of Sen. Bong Go’s half-brother Alfedo Go, in joint venture with RELY CONSTRUCTION (P96, 497,408). GENESIS88 (P29,400, 000), whose proprietor Glenn Escandor donated to Vice President Sara Duterte’s campaign in 2022, also figures.
Tinio declared that the red flags warranted thorough investigation of all flood control and other public infrastructure projects in Davao City. He also announced that he will file a resolution calling for a congressional investigation into these anomalies and calls on the Commission on Audit (COA), the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct their own investigations. “The Filipino people deserve answers about how P4.66 billion in public funds was spent—or misspent,” said Tinio.
“This is about ensuring that every peso of public funds meant to protect our communities from flooding actually serves that purpose,” Tinio concluded. “Transparency and accountability must apply equally, whether in Bulacan, Davao, or anywhere else in our country.” #
