MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that only 14 of 421 alleged ghost flood control projects have been confirmed as non-existent, as authorities continued to verify irregularities in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contracts.
DOJ spokesman Assistant Secretary Polo Martinez said the department was coordinating with the DPWH to obtain project data and records that could help speed up the verification process.
“Some projects initially tagged as ghost projects were later found to exist, but they were mislocated due to errors in coordinates,” Martinez said.
He noted that confirming the status of all projects was critical for ongoing investigations, which aimed to hold accountable those allegedly involved in the multi-billion-peso flood control anomalies.
The DOJ stressed that full verification required both field inspections and documentary evidence to determine which projects were genuine and which may have been fabricated or inflated.
Authorities continue to monitor progress on all remaining projects, as part of efforts to complete investigations before the end of the current administration.