MANILA — The House of Representatives kicked off its own investigation Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, into alleged anomalies in flood control projects across the country, with an official declaring that plunder cases should be filed “at the soonest time” against those behind the so-called P55-million “ghost project” in Bulacan—the first item on their probe list.

The investigation is being conducted by the Joint Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works and Highways, and Good Government and Public Accountability, collectively called the Infrastructure Committee or Infra-Comm.

Public Accounts head and Infra-Comm co-chair Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro partylist), in his opening statement, stressed that the particular project—described as “construction of reinforced concrete river wall” in the town of Baliuag, funded with P55 million by the government and awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to Syms Construction Trading—was supposedly completed in 2023 but was discovered to be nonexistent.

The project site in Purok 4, Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan, was inspected last Aug. 20 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself, who got angry upon finding out that no work had been done for the supposed project. The president commented, “It’s very clear that the project isn’t completed. So immediately, that’s falsification — and that alone is already a very serious violation.”

Ridon said the committee he chairs already has the documents necessary to build cases against Syms Construction Trading and the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office for their involvement in the anomaly.

“The threshold for plunder is P50 million. This project is P55 million. Plunder charges should be filed against all involved personalities at the soonest time,” Ridon stressed.

Syms Construction Trading did not attend the House hearing.

Ridon said the Tri-Comm would also target two other substandard projects in Calumpit, Bulacan, which were undertaken by St. Timothy Construction and Wawao Builders. These two firms are on the list released by Marcos identifying the top 15 contractors who have cornered the bulk of flood control projects in the country over the last three years.

St. Timothy Construction is among the nine construction firms owned by contractor husband and wife Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, which bagged over 400 flood control projects worth more than P30 billion from the government since 2022 alone.

Wawao Builders, on the other hand, has been implicated in a number of alleged ghost projects across flood-prone Bulacan province.

Eleven of the 16 invited contractors were present at the hearing, while five—Syms Construction Trading, Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corporation, Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp., and Wawao Builders—were absent.

The Tri-Comm ordered the issuance of subpoenas against the five absent contractors.

Ridon said the Tri-Comm is committed to submitting all its findings to the independent commission now being formed by the President to investigate anomalous flood control projects.

The partylist solon vowed that they would invite legislators, construction companies, and high-ranking officials if they are named in anomalous flood control or infrastructure deals. He said the Tri-Comm will be doing this “so we can show the public that we are not going to cover up for any congressman or senator.”

Meanwhile, the Tri-Comm unanimously adopted a motion for members of the panel to disclose their links, if any, to flood control contractors.

Akbayan partylist Rep. Chel Diokno made the motion, emphasizing the need to preserve the inquiry’s integrity. “We need to assure the public that this investigation will not be a whitewash and that no members of the three committees conducting this investigation have a conflict of interest,” he said.

The motion was seconded by Representatives Edgar Erice and Leila de Lima.

Based on the adopted motion, members of the Tri-Comm are expected to submit a disclosure within five days. Solons without any ties to contractors of flood control projects may simply declare they have no conflict of interest with the probe, while those with links to such contractors will be asked to inhibit from the inquiry.

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