By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), has so far discovered more than 250 “ghost projects” during their inspections across the country.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is investigating anomalous flood control projects, has tapped the AFP and the PNP to inspect government infrastructure projects as part of its probe.
In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, AFP Spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said out of the 10,000 infrastructure projects they’ve inspected, 252 were found to be “ghost projects.”
Padilla said, “There were 30,000 projects that were deemed for the AFP and the PNP collectively to inspect. From these 30,000 projects, 10,000 na po ‘yong ating na-inspect on the side of the AFP.”
“It turned out that the total of around 252 of these na naiikot na po namin are ghost projects from 2016 to present.”
Padilla did not mention specific locations.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., by virtue of Executive Order 94 issued on Sept. 11, created the ICI to probe anomalous flood control and related projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways within the past 10 years.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. is part of the ICI’s technical working group on asset recovery and case build-up.
Padilla concluded, “Rest assured, we will be giving the complete report to ICI for them to facilitate and fast-track their investigation.” (PNA)
