MANILA – A House resolution has been filed by party-list lawmakers to investigate at least P4.4 billion worth of flood control projects in Davao City—considered a Duterte stronghold—which they claim show “strong indications of gross overpricing, ghost and incomplete delivery, fraud, collusion, and systematic plunder of public funds.”

House Resolution No. 464 was filed on November 13, 2025, by ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, and Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago. It seeks to direct the House Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Public Works and Highways to probe at least 80 questionable projects along the Davao and Matina Rivers from 2019 to 2022.

All the cited projects fall under the jurisdiction of Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and were funded during the term of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Inihain na po natin ang House Resolution Number 464 na nananawagan ng imbestigasyon sa maanomalyang flood control projects sa Davao City na nagkakahalaga ng at least P4.4 billion pesos mula 2019 hanggang 2022,” Tinio told reporters.

“May mga nakita tayong malinaw na indikasyon na may ghost project, may incomplete projects, may overpriced, definitely grossly overpriced na projects, double-funding, at iba pa,” he said.

Rep. Duterte earlier insisted that the flood control projects in Davao were completely aboveboard, accusing the Makabayan bloc of becoming subservient to the Marcos administration by singling out his district for political reasons.

Tinio said the resolution contradicts Duterte’s claim that the flood control projects in Davao are spotless.

According to the teacher-solon, “Pinabubulaanan po nito yung fake news na pinalalaganap na malinis at walang problema ang mga sangkatutak na flood control projects sa Davao City laluna nung mula nung nakaraang administrasyon.”

The Makabayan lawmakers pointed out that during the Duterte presidency, Pulong’s district received at least P51 billion in funding for flood control projects from 2020 to 2022—far exceeding the amounts proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the National Expenditure Program during that period.

They added that of the 80 flagged projects, 10—worth P712 million—were awarded to Genesis88 Construction, a firm reportedly owned by Glenn Escandor, who served as presidential adviser for sports under the Duterte administration.

They said this “raised serious concerns about possible political patronage in the awarding of contracts.”

The Makabayan bloc also flagged other alleged irregularities, including the “total overlap of two contracts for revetment construction in the same river section, amounting to P135.14 million; double funding for the same project worth P115.09 million awarded to two different contractors; and eight projects worth P425.43 million that fell short of the required length authorized under the budget bill.”

At least 10 awarded contracts, amounting to P622.57 million, were also not found in the General Appropriations Act, raising serious questions about their legal basis and authorization, they said.

The lawmakers argued that this “pattern of irregularities in Davao—including congressional insertions, projects without proper specifications, changed locations, double funding, total overlap, and incomplete delivery—mirrors the same schemes uncovered in Bulacan province.”

Tinio urged “those in Davao… not to hide behind the [typhoon] tragedy that happened in Cebu province to evade accountability.”

“This is not a mutually exclusive thing. We are also pushing for accountability for flood control projects there and in other areas… but this does not mean that we should just be silent about the projects in Davao,” he said.

“Kaya nananawagan tayo sa Committee on Public Accounts ng House na maglunsad ng kagyat na imbestigasyon dito upang mas mapalalim, at matukoy ang mga responsible at mapanagot,” Tinio added.

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