The Office of the Ombudsman has temporarily suspended five engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office amid investigations into alleged irregularities involving P188 million worth of flood control projects in Baliuag, Bulacan.
The Office of the Ombudsman in the Philippines has ordered the preventive suspension of five engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office for a period of six months. This action comes amid ongoing investigations into their alleged involvement in irregularities concerning P188 million worth of flood control projects in Baliuag, Bulacan.
The suspended engineers—identified as Irene Ontingco, Kevin Geronimo, John Michael Ramos, Bernardo Villafuerte, and Michelle Cruz—face administrative cases accusing them of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and gross neglect of duty. These allegations are connected to the construction of reinforced concrete slope revetments in the barangays of Piel, San Roque, and Sulivan in Baliuag.
According to the Ombudsman, the engineers are accused of falsifying various documents related to contract implementation, inspection, acceptance, billing, and payment processes. These falsifications purportedly created a deceptive impression that the contractual and legal requirements were fully complied with, facilitating the disbursement of public funds without proper oversight.
The Ombudsman explained the preventive suspension is necessary to prevent the respondents from potentially interfering with the investigation or accessing evidence related to the case. Additional measures aim to preserve evidence and prevent further misconduct during the administrative proceedings.
The complaint also names several former DPWH officials, including Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and Juanito Mendoza, who are already detained in connection with related graft and malversation cases involving a separate P92.8 million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. Preventive suspension orders for those already detained were declared moot due to their separation from service.
Other personnel involved have either retired or resigned, rendering related suspension orders ineffective. Aside from administrative charges, the respondents face corresponding criminal complaints filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.
The DPWH Region 3 office has been contacted for comment, but no statement has been released as of this writing.
This case highlights ongoing efforts in the Philippines to address corruption and ensure accountability in government infrastructure projects, particularly those aimed at flood control and disaster mitigation in vulnerable provinces.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1007761/ombudsman-suspends-bulacan-dpwh-engineers-over-p188m-flood-control-projects/story/