MANILA, Philippines – Inanunsyo ng Commission on Audit nitong Biyernes, Setyembre 26 na naghain ito ng fraud audit reports sa Independent Commission for Infrastructure kaugnay sa apat na flood control projects sa Bulacan na itinayo sa mga lugar na iba sa nakasaad sa mga project document.
Ang apat na proyekto ay isinagawa ng mga contractor na SYMS Construction at Topnotch Catalyst Builders, Inc.
Tumestigo ang may-ari ng SYMS na si Sally Santos sa imbestigasyon ng Senado sa korapsyon sa flood control projects, habang ang Topnotch ang ikaanim sa 15 contractor na nagawaran ng pinakamaraming flood control projects mula noong 2022.
Ayon sa COA, ininspeksyon nila ang flood control structure na itinayo sa Angat River at napag-alaman na ang Department of Public Works and Highways – Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office ay “pinpointed a project site different from the approved location” nang walang kaukulang paliwanag.
Sinabi pa na bago pa ang kontrata sa SYMS noong Pebrero 25, ang slope-protection structure “already existed at the approved location”, na nagpapataas sa posibilidad ng double-counted accomplishments.
Idinagdag ng COA na ang district engineering office ay bigong makapagpasa ng “significant number of critical supporting documents” para sa proyekto.
Natukoy ng COA na sangkot dito sina:
• Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara
• Dismissed assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
• Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang
• Engineer III John Michael Ramos
• Project Engineer Lemuel Ephraim Roque
• Engineer II Jolo Mari Tayao
• SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos
Samantala, sinabi rin ng COA na ang proyekto sa Barangay Bulihan sa Plaridel, Bulacan ay “another mismatched project site” at may ibang contractor na ang nakapagsagawa ng flood control project sa lugar na tinukoy sa project documents.
“The DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO representatives said that the project site was moved to a different location. Yet, there were no supporting documents or justification to move it. COA found that the structure that was pinpointed by DPWH personnel falls short of the specifications stated for the project,” sinabi pa ng komisyon.
Bigo rin aniya na makapagasa ng supporting documents ang district engineering office at nag-isyu ang COA ng Notice of Disallowance noong Agosto. Ang Notice of Disallowance ay nangangahulugan na ang pondong ginastos ay dapat na ibalik sa pamahalaan.
Napag-alaman ng COA na responsable rito sina:
• Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara
• Dismissed assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
• Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang
• Topnotch Catalyst president Eumir Villanueva
• Topnotch Catalyst officers, members of the board
Ang P98.9 milyong proyekto sa Barangay Bambang, Bocaue naman ay joint venture ng Topnotch Catalyst Builders at Beam Team Developer Specialist, Inc. na may completion target ng Enero 17, 2025.
Sinabi ng COA na ang team nito “was led by DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO representatives to a project site which did not match the approved location”, at ang mga pagbabago ay hindi suportado ng anumang dokumento.
“COA discovered that historical satellite imagery shows that there was already an existing flood control structure on the approved project site as early as February 29, 2024,” dagdag pa.
Ang nakumpletong proyekto “did not meet the specifications of the project.”
Mapananagot dito sina:
• Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara
• Dismissed assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
• Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang
• Maintenance Section OIC Chief Jaime Hernandez
• Project Engineer John Carlo Rivera
• Engineer II John Michael Marcos
• Engineer II Claudine Magdalene Magsakay
• Engineer II Ericka Justine Chico
• Joint Venture representative Allan Kevin Payawal
• Joint Venture officers and board members
Ang P98.9 milyong slope protection structure sa Barangay Turo, Bocaue naman ay ipinatupad ng JV sa pagitan ng Topnotch at One Frame Construction Inc., at ang proyekto ay may target completion date na Enero 17, 2025.
Itinayo rin ito sa lugar na iba sa inaprubahang project site at hindi makapagbigay ang district engineering office ng dokumento o paliwanag sa pagbabago ng site.
“Based on available information to COA, the approved site already had an earlier existing flood control structure which could not have been built prior to the Joint Venture’s receipt of the Notice to Proceed” noong Abril 23, 2024, ayon sa COA.
Nakakita rin ng pagkakaiba ang mga auditor sa orihinal na plano para sa istruktura sa aktwal na itinayo ng JV.
Accountable dito sina:
• Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara
• Dismissed assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
• Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang
• Engineer III John Michael Ramos
• Project Engineer Emelita V. Morales
• Maintenance Section OIC Chief Jaime Hernandez
• Engineer II Ericka Justine Chico
• Engineer II Isiah Lor Galang
• Joint Venture representative Gian Carlo Galang
• Joint Venture officers and board members
Ang mga mapatutunayang nagkasala ay maaaring maharap sa paglabag sa Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation, falsification of documents, paglabag sa Government Procurement Reform Act, at paglabag sa COA Circular No. 2009-001 (re: submission of copy of government contracts, purchase orders and their supporting documents to the Commission on Audit)
Inisyal pa lamang ang listahan at maaari pang madagdagan ang dokumento ng mas maraming pangalan habang nagpapatuloy ang audit.
Ang mga inspeksyon ay bahagi ng direktiba noong Agosto para sa agarang audit ng flood control projects sa Bulacan sa pagitan ng Hulyo 1, 2022 at Mayo 30, 2025.
“The audit’s findings will be crucial for the ongoing investigation conducted by the ICI against those involved in irregularities in government infrastructure projects,” sinabi ng COA. RNT/JGC
