The Department of Justice (DOJ) told senators Monday that only 14 out of 421 flood control projects initially flagged as “ghost” have been firmly established as non-existent after months of investigation.
Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said authorities remain cautious in their findings.
“Currently, the Department of Justice has identified 14 projects, based on the evidence we have gathered, that we are convinced are ghost projects,” Vida said.
He added that the rest are still under review as investigators continue gathering documents, conducting site inspections, and taking testimonies.
“Of the remaining projects, we are not yet convinced that they are ghost projects, and we continue to gather evidence to determine whether they are indeed ghost projects,” he said.
Public Works Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III stressed that projects already filed before the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan should no longer be in doubt.
“Just to set the record straight, those that have been the subject of cases before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan are really ghost projects,” he told the panel.
Vida clarified that two of the 14 confirmed ghost projects are already pending before the Sandiganbayan, while the rest are still being prepared for possible prosecution.
The slow progress drew sharp criticism from Senator Erwin Tulfo, who warned that delays risk undermining public trust.
“Baka tapos na po ang administrasyon na ‘to, itong mga kaso sa flood control ay hindi pa natatapos,” Tulfo said.
“Habang tumatagal po ito, magkakaroon ng ideya ‘yung mga tao na baka may tinatakpan kayo sa sobrang tagal,” he added.
The admission underscores the challenges facing investigators as the Senate continues its probe into alleged anomalies in flood control spending.