The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has submitted a preliminary report to the Office of the Ombudsman, recommending investigations into a ₱72.3 million flood-control contract in Plaridel, Bulacan that appears to have been paid in full despite no work being built at the approved site.
According to the ICI’s findings, the contract—signed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s Bulacan First District Engineering Office with contractor Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.—did not result in the construction of the required riverbank protection structure where the bid clearly specified it should have been built.
What’s more alarming: the ICI said the plunder “happened right under the nose” of then-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who had supervisory responsibility for the agency. The commission recommends he and two former under-secretaries be probed for possible gross neglect of duty and ethical violations.
Further details of the alleged scam include:
- The contract was awarded in February 2025 for ₱69.48 million and paid by May of the same year.
- A technical inspection by the Commission on Audit found no structure at the designated site; instead, the as-built plan showed a relocation without proper documentation.
- Key DPWH‐Bulacan officials and contractor officers are recommended for criminal and administrative charges including falsification, malversation, and violations of the Anti-Graft Act.
In response, the ICI is moving forward with an inter-agency framework involving the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the DPWH, the NBI and the Ombudsman to trace and recover assets tied to flood-control anomalies nationwide.