CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Former Cebu Third District congressman Pablo John “PJ” Garcia has denied the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) claim that two flood control projects in Balamban, Cebu are “ghost projects.”
In a social media post, Garcia categorically declared that “there are no ghost projects,” contradicting the NBI’s findings. He also posted photos of the flood control structures, saying that “pictures don’t lie.”
Garcia was reacting to media reports quoting the NBI’s recommendation to file criminal charges against two contractors and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over two alleged ghost flood control projects in Barangay Singsing, Balamban.
The former lawmaker said he initially refrained from commenting out of respect for the DPWH, expecting the agency to address the issue publicly.
“I wanted to wait for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to issue its statement regarding this issue,” said Garcia.
He added that he had already received reports from the DPWH Third District Engineering Office after questions about the projects first surfaced.
“But since the questions have not been answered, a few days after the issue came out, I felt it my duty to inform the public of what I know,” he said.
Garcia maintained that the flood mitigation projects are genuine and have already been completed.
“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),” he stated.
He added that the structures had already withstood flooding brought by Typhoon Tino and remained intact. According to Garcia, the dispute centers on the exact location of the projects rather than whether they were actually built.
He said the DPWH, using the government’s geotagging application, identified the projects as being located in Barangay Singsing, consistent with the title stated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Garcia said the NBI, however, believes the projects extend several meters into neighboring Barangay Cantuod along the same river.
“Naa ang duha ka proyekto, nagbarog, nagamit na ilabi na sa miaging baha. Ang gilalisan lang mao kon nahimutang ba gyud sa Barangay Singsing, kon milapas ba ngadto pipila ka metro, sa iyang silingang barangay, Barangay Cantuod along the same river,” Garcia said.
He argued that such a dispute does not fit the definition of a ghost project.
“As I understand it, that is not the definition of a ghost project,” he said.
To settle the issue, Garcia proposed a joint field inspection involving the NBI, DPWH, and the COA.
“A joint reinspection conducted by the NBI, the DPWH and COA,” he said, should be undertaken while inviting members of the media, civil society organizations, bloggers, vloggers, and concerned citizens to witness the inspection.
“Jointly, let us see with our own eyes, and not through speculation, whether the projects are really there,” Garcia said.
He also appealed for caution in using the term “ghost project,” saying it carries serious implications.
“Maghinay-hinay kita paggamit nianang termino nga ‘ghost project’ because it is a highly charged and emotional term, and careers of professional civil servants are at stake,” he said.
Garcia added that while politicians are often subjected to public criticism, career government employees should not be unfairly accused without basis.
The project cited in Garcia’s statement carries Contract ID No. 24HF0003 for the “Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure at Combado River, Barangay Singsing, Balamban, Cebu,” with Helm Construction & Supplies listed as the contractor.
In an earlier report by The Freeman, NBI-7 Supervising Agent Gregorio Algoso said the recommendation had been submitted to the NBI Task Force on DPWH Flood Control Project Anomalies and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
According to Algoso, investigators found that the coordinates indicated in one of the contracts for a flood control project in Barangay Singsing did not correspond to an existing flood control structure at the identified site.
Instead, the coordinates reportedly led investigators to another location, prompting further investigation into the implementation of the projects.
Algoso acknowledged that the DPWH had maintained that one of the projects had been transferred to another barangay but said it would be up to the agency to justify the discrepancy before the courts.
“We found two, but there’s a technicality there because as per DPWH, instead of building in this area, they transferred it to the next barangay, for whatever reasons or justifications they made. But on paper, it appears in this barangay. So it is up to them to justify it in court,” Algoso earlier said.
| Jonnavie Villa/FPL
