MANILA — A senior government engineer has been dismissed from service after admitting involvement in so-called “ghost projects” and irregularities in multibillion-peso infrastructure works.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) confirmed on Friday that Henry Alcantara, former district engineer of Bulacan’s First District, had been removed from his post following an internal investigation.

DPWH Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon said Alcantara will also face criminal charges, with the case to be referred to the Ombudsman next week.

“He is now dismissed. I will call for summary dismissal of Henry Alcantara,” Secretary Dizon told reporters during an inspection of a flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan.

In a Senate hearing earlier this week, Alcantara admitted issuing a certificate of completion for a ₱55 million reinforced concrete river wall project in Baliwag, which was later exposed as non-existent. He told senators he had relied on a final inspection report prepared by his team.

Use of Fake Identity to Enter Casino, Alongside Misuse of Public Funds and Gross Neglect of Duty

The charges filed against Alcantara include “Disloyalty to the Republic of the Philippines and to the Filipino People; Grave Misconduct; Gross Neglect in the Performance of Duty; and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, in accordance to Sections 63 (A)(1)(d), (f), (h), at A(2)(a), Rule 10 of the 2025 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service,” according to the DPWH.

He also confessed to using an alias and a fake ID to enter a casino, breaching the Administrative Code of 1987, which prohibits government employees from gambling.

As district engineer, Alcantara oversaw 13 municipalities in the flood-prone province of Bulacan. Records show his office managed 450 flood control projects worth almost ₱29 billion between 2022 and 2025 — the largest allocation among DPWH implementing units.

The Baliwag river wall project was contracted to Syms Construction Trading, a company previously flagged for alleged involvement in similar ghost projects.

“Ito ay isang babala sa mga opisyal at kawani ng DPWH na responsable sa mga ghost at substandard projects, dahil kagaya nga ng sinabi ni Pangulo, hindi natin hahayaan na hindi mapanagot ang mga tiwali sa pamahalaan,” Secretary Dizon said.

The secretary added that dismissal proceedings would also be pursued against other officials in the same district engineering office, including former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, Construction Section Chief Engineer Jaypee Mendoza, and Accountant Juanito Mendoza.

“Kasunod nito, kami ay magrerekomenda sa kaukulang tanggapan upang maghain ng criminal charges laban kay Engineer Alcantara at iba pang sangkot na indibidwal upang makamit ang hustisya sa kanilang ginawang pambababoy sa kaban ng bayan,” Dizon added.

📷 DPWH