MANILA – Ten officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Bulacan have been suspended and placed on “floating status” amid allegations of irregularities in flood control projects.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan confirmed on Friday that the officials from the Bulacan First District Engineering Office (DEO) were ordered to explain their role in so-called “ghost projects” – projects that exist only on paper but were reported as completed and paid for.

“They will be charged. We’re just collating the documents,” Bonoan said. “I gave them three days to explain, and if we find it not convincing, we have to file the necessary charges.”

He clarified that the officials were not dismissed but were “relieved of their duties three weeks earlier pending investigation.” The private contractors who won bids for the projects could also face sanctions.

Show-cause orders issued

Bonoan said he has issued a show-cause order to former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and other officials linked to the projects.

“I issued to them a few days ago a show-cause order based on especially the projects that the President went to see in San Miguel, Bulacan,” Bonoan said in an interview with One News. “I issued a show cause order for them to explain actually the status that were looked into by the President, as well as the other projects we have seen ourselves.”

Alcantara, who served as district engineer since 2019, was promoted in June as officer-in-charge assistant regional director of DPWH Region IV-A. He was replaced by Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez on June 13, 2025.

Hernandez admitted that Bulacan remains vulnerable to flooding, particularly in Malolos City and the towns of Calumpit and Guiguinto.

“Kung ano lang ang dumating na funding, yun lang ang magagawa natin,” he said, appealing for patience and understanding from residents.

Senate allegations

The controversy drew further attention after Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson cited the Bulacan 1st DEO in a privilege speech, saying it had listed 28 flood control projects in 2024, each averaging ₱72 million.

According to Lacson, Alcantara and Hernandez “share the same love for money.” He added that one of them had recently lost “hundreds of millions in a casino here in Manila.”

DPWH probe

Bonoan said validation teams were sent to confirm whether the projects existed. “Most of these were present. Now, we’re undertaking financial and technical validations,” he explained.

He added that so far, the suspected ghost projects were confined to the Bulacan First DEO.

“There are findings or information about what is happening with the projects in their district office,” he said. “We are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior in implementation of these projects.”

📷 DPWH