The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bacolod has launched a probe into flood control projects in Negros Occidental, responding to allegations of “ghost projects” in the province.
NBI Bacolod Executive Officer William de Arca said on Thursday, October 2, that DPWH offices in San Carlos, Kabankalan, and Binalbagan have already submitted the requested documents after receiving subpoenas.
Investigators have also subpoenaed district engineers from Bacolod, Talisay, and Bago, who are expected to comply soon.
The NBI focuses its investigation on DPWH infrastructure projects from 2020 to 2025, especially flood control initiatives.
De Arca said that each engineering district manages 10 to 12 projects annually and praised district engineers for cooperating with the probe.
The investigation follows a broader NBI inquiry announced in September, targeting at least 15 contractors linked to P12-billion worth of DPWH infrastructure contracts.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago earlier said that the bureau is tracing both the money trail and the paper trail of these projects as part of a motu proprio investigation into possible irregularities in government contracts.
The NBI said that whatever findings their investigators uncover, they will submit them to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which will later be forwarded to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.