The Office of the Ombudsman has placed five engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District under a six-month preventive suspension without pay. The action comes as authorities investigate alleged irregularities tied to three flood control projects in Baliuag, Bulacan, valued at a combined ₱188.9 million.
The suspended personnel are project engineers Irene Ontingco, Kevin Geronimo, John Michael Ramos, Bernardo Villafuerte, and Michelle Cruz. They face administrative charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and gross neglect of duty concerning the 2024 projects.
According to the Ombudsman’s statement issued on Friday, October 30, the initiatives involved building reinforced concrete slope revetments across Barangays Piel, San Roque, and Sulivan.
“The projects, with a combined contract value of ₱188,891,898.23, involved the construction of reinforced concrete slope revetments in Barangays Piel, San Roque, and Sulivan in Baliuag, Bulacan,” the Ombudsman stated.
Investigators allege that the engineers manipulated and falsified documents governing contract implementation, inspections, project acceptance, billings, and disbursements.
”To facilitate the implementation of the contracts and the disbursement of public funds, complainant maintains that respondents falsified documents relating to contract implementation, inspection, acceptance, billing and payment to create the false impression that the contractual and legal prerequisites had been satisfied,” the Ombudsman order noted.
Furthermore, special investigators stated that the respondents altered records to help a joint venture secure the contracts despite allegedly failing to meet legal requirements.
“[T]he respondents falsified documentation in relation to the three projects to create the false impression that the joint venture had complied with the requirements of the laws and regulations, thereby ensuring that the contracts will be awarded to it,” investigators added.
The anti-graft body explained that the preventive suspension was issued because strong evidence supported the allegations. Officials also noted that leaving the engineers in office could jeopardize the inquiry by risking evidence tampering or document manipulation.
While the suspension applies to the active engineers, similar orders for several former officials—including former OIC district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez and former assistant district engineer Jaypee Mendoza—were deemed moot because they had already left the service. Other former personnel, such as those who retired or resigned in 2026, alongside detained workers, faced the same ruling.
Meanwhile, Commission on Audit (COA) auditors Cinderella Esperanza A. Santos and Madonna S. Atencion were not suspended, as investigators found no indication that their current positions posed a risk to the investigation.
All named respondents, whether suspended or not, remain subject to the ongoing administrative probe and separate criminal complaints.