
BIR to probe ghost flood control projects — Lumagui
The bureau will look into the status of the projects and the contractors' tax compliance.
'Sisiguraduhin din natin kung tapos na ba, ano na ba ang nangyari patungkol sa tax payments ng projects na ito,' Lumagui said in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice.
(We will verify if they were completed and the status of these projects' tax payments.)
Ghost projects are those for which contractors were paid, but the projects were never started, according to the BIR.
'Para sa amin, 'pag sinabing 'ghost project,' wala naman talagang ginawa. Ibig sabihin walang ginastos patungkol sa proyektong 'yan at binayaran siguro sila, pero walang ginastos sa project na 'yan,' he said.
(For us, when you say 'ghost project,' it really means nothing was done. It means no money was spent on that project, and maybe they were paid, but nothing was actually spent on the project.)
Lumagui said the BIR's investigation will also include coordination with other agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways.
'Kung ano man ang magiging resulta ng mga investigations na ginagawa, hihingi rin kami ng mga reports at mga dokumentong na i-submit nila,' he said.
(Whatever the results of the investigations being conducted, we will also request the reports and documents that they will submit.)
This comes a day after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began its probe on the flood control mess on Tuesday.
During the hearing, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency is validating reports of ghost flood control projects in Bulacan worth P5.9 billion.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. vowed that those involved in anomalous flood control projects would be held accountable.
Last week, Marcos disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget for flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors. –VBL, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
17 hours ago
- GMA Network
BIR to probe ghost flood control projects — Lumagui
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will now join the investigation into the alleged anomalous flood control projects, Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said Wednesday. The bureau will look into the status of the projects and the contractors' tax compliance. 'Sisiguraduhin din natin kung tapos na ba, ano na ba ang nangyari patungkol sa tax payments ng projects na ito,' Lumagui said in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice. (We will verify if they were completed and the status of these projects' tax payments.) Ghost projects are those for which contractors were paid, but the projects were never started, according to the BIR. 'Para sa amin, 'pag sinabing 'ghost project,' wala naman talagang ginawa. Ibig sabihin walang ginastos patungkol sa proyektong 'yan at binayaran siguro sila, pero walang ginastos sa project na 'yan,' he said. (For us, when you say 'ghost project,' it really means nothing was done. It means no money was spent on that project, and maybe they were paid, but nothing was actually spent on the project.) Lumagui said the BIR's investigation will also include coordination with other agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways. 'Kung ano man ang magiging resulta ng mga investigations na ginagawa, hihingi rin kami ng mga reports at mga dokumentong na i-submit nila,' he said. (Whatever the results of the investigations being conducted, we will also request the reports and documents that they will submit.) This comes a day after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began its probe on the flood control mess on Tuesday. During the hearing, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency is validating reports of ghost flood control projects in Bulacan worth P5.9 billion. In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. vowed that those involved in anomalous flood control projects would be held accountable. Last week, Marcos disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget for flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors. –VBL, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
19 hours ago
- GMA Network
Politicians involved in anomalous flood control projects to be named — Erwin, Jinggoy
Senators Erwin Tulfo and Jinggoy Estrada said Wednesday that politicians who are linked to anomalous flood control projects will be identified in the hearings of the powerful Senate blue ribbon committee. Tulfo, vice chairperson of the panel, said that not only members of the House of Representatives will be named in the next hearings to come, but also local government officials who have had a hand in suspicious flood control projects. 'Yung mga contractor na 'yan, connected 'yan sa mga pulitiko na 'yan. Hindi lang congressman dito, mayroon ding mga governor diyan, may mga mayor din na sasabit diyan na sila mismo ang tumitira ng flood control pagbaba ng pondo sa kanilang lalawigan, sa kanilang probinsya. Sila na ang tumitira,' Tulfo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. (These contractors are connected to politicians. It's not just congressmen, but also governors and mayors who are behind the flood control projects who will be tagged.) ''Yung iba naman na mga mayor, mga contractor. Sila na rin ang gumagawa ng mga flood control. At kahit hindi sa bayan nila, kahit sa ibang bayan, pupunta ang kanyang kumpanya para gawin ang flood control na 'yan,' he added. (Some mayors are the contractors themselves. They also do flood control as a business. They will work on something not just in their own towns, but in other towns as well.) Tulfo said that private contractors will be pressed in order for them to divulge who are the politicians they are working with. If they fail to cooperate with the blue ribbon committee, the senator warned that these contractors may be cited in contempt. During the committee's initial public hearing on Tuesday, chairperson Senator Rodante Marcoleta approved a motion for the issuance of subpoenas against private contractors that were absent. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan also revealed in the hearing that there may be "ghost" flood control projects worth P5.9 billion that mar some areas in Bulacan. Parliamentary courtesy Estrada, meanwhile, explained that the Senate will not urge fellow lawmakers—particularly those from the lower chamber—to attend the hearings of the blue ribbon committee, but they may voluntarily do so if they want. 'Pwede naman sabihin ng contractor kung sino 'yung mga binibigyan nilang pulitiko,' the Senate President Pro Tempore said in a separate dzBB interview. (The contractor can identify the politicians they are giving money to.) 'Siguro kung merong maglalakas loob na pangalanan 'yung mambabatas na 'yun, siguro sasagutin nila in a proper forum,' he added. (If someone dares to name lawmakers, maybe these politicians can answer in a proper forum.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Bonoan: DPWH validating 'ghost' flood control projects in Bulacan
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Tuesday expressed belief that "ghost" flood control projects worth P5.9 billion mar some areas in Bulacan. In his interpellation during a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said his office received reports that there are "ghost projects" in Malolos City and the municipalities of Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan. Estrada said that among the contractors allegedly involved is the Wawao Builders—one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that supposedly got 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects in the country. Bonoan said that the DPWH is still validating such reports of ghost projects, but when asked by Estrada if he believes the existence of such, the Secretary said, "In all honesty Your Honor, I think so." "There are district offices that try to continue the validation of some of the projects. Let me just point out, Your Honor, that many of these projects… I have mentioned, some of the projects were implemented in 2021 [and] 2022," Bonoan said. The DPWH chief further said he learned of the possible existence of the ghost projects "just lately." "There are already information coming… There are people actually in the department, that are… There are people who can actually testify, Your Honor. There are projects that we are intensively validating," Bonoan added when asked how he learned of such. Estrada then asked Bonoan how much was awarded to Wawao Builders, but the DPWH chief initially said that he had no figures to show. This infuriated the senator. "Mayroong mga figures diyan, 'wag niyo ko lolokohin dito. Ilabas niyo kung magkano 'yung in-award niyo du'n sa Wawao Builders, mga ghost projects. We'll wait for it… Nakakadiri kayo," Estrada said. (You have figures there to show. Don't try to fool me. Tell us how much you awarded Wawao Builders, the ghost projects. We'll wait for it... You are disgusting.) According to Bonaoan, Wawao Builders had 85 projects worth P5.971 billion in the first engineering district of Bulacan. "There seems to be some ghost projects that have actually been reported, Your Honor. Yes, we're investigating … They'll be coming up with a financial and physical report in one week's time in my office," he added. — VDV, GMA Integrated News