By Stephanie Sevillano | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday filed complaints against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors over P94 million worth of alleged ghost farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Davao Occidental.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. lodged eight formal complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman following a thorough investigation and a seven-month case buildup.
Named in the complaints were DPWH Davao Occidental District Engineer Rodrigo Larete, Project Engineer and Officer-in-charge (OIC)-Chief of Construction Section Joel Lumogdang, OIC-Assistant District Engineer Michael Awa, Quality Assurance Officer Jafel Faunillan, Acting Finance Chief Czar Ryan Ubungen, and a private contractor.
They were charged with alleged corrupt practices, malversation, falsification of public documents, grave misconduct, and serious dishonesty in connection with the P11.94 million FMR project at Barangay Caburan, Jose Abad Santos, which was allegedly paid in full despite not being implemented.
Respondents reportedly falsified Statements of Work Accomplished (SWA), Certificates of Payment, and Disbursement Vouchers to make the project appear complete to push the release of public funds.
In an interview, the DA chief assured a strong case against the erring DPWH officials and contractors.
“They can get good lawyers. So, we really have to prepare a case. Ngayon, nandito tayo after pitong buwan, I can say na medyo maganda at solid lahat ng ebidensya, solid ang lahat ng kaso,” Tiu Laurel told reporters.
The alleged ghost projects, which were supposed to be constructed in 2021, could have helped local farmers and alleviated their production and logistics costs, Tiu Laurel said.
“Matagal na nilang hinihintay ‘yung farm-to-market road na matagal nang napangako sa kanila,” he added.
“Makakatulong talaga ito sa cost nila, logistics, pati ginhawa at oras, dahil ang oras ay hindi natin mapapalitan.”
On the ground, Tiu Laurel stressed that the “ghost FMR projects” were neither completed nor implemented.
“Wala talaga, zero, wala kang makita, mayroong daanan dirt road na dinadaanan ng tao o tricycle, pero walang semento, walang bakal, wala lahat,” he said.
Meanwhile, another complaint was filed against the same DPWH officials and Masulot Construction, represented by Maligamama Medtamak, over the Barangay Caburan Small FMR in Jose Abad Santos.
The P11.92 million worth of FMR project was allegedly falsely certified as complete, resulting in the disbursement of government funds despite field validation by the DA-Internal Audit Service (IAS) showing that the project had not been implemented.
Additional complaints involve DPWH officials Larete, Lumogdang, Villaver, Awa, Faunillan, Ubungen, and seven contractors.
These cases concern FMR projects in Barangays Culaman, Datu Danwata, Demoloc, Tical, and Manuel Peralta, with contract values ranging from P10.02 million to P14.92 million.
In each case, the DA alleges that respondents conspired to submit falsified SWAs, Certificates of Payment, Project Status Reports, and Disbursement Vouchers to make the projects appear completed, thereby securing payments for not implemented FMR projects.
More complaints
Tiu Laurel, meanwhile, said more complaints will be filed over ghost projects in the next few months.
“Itong walo ngayon sa Davao Occidental, ‘yung pito na susunod sa Davao Occidental pa rin,” he said.
“Mayroon na rin kaming kini-case buildup sa Guinobatan, Albay, pinuntahan ko rin yun few months ago, wala rin, hindi rin namin makita yung project.”
The DA is also investigating the possible involvement of local DA personnel, considering the “fake documents” of FMR ghost projects.
“There’s always that possibility, kaya iniimbestigahan namin. We gave them a deadline to reply a few days ago, ‘yung aming mga tao and hindi sila nag-reply,” Tiu Laurel said.
“Kung hindi sila mag-cooperate, yayariin din namin sila,” he assured.
DA spokesperson Asec. Arnel de Mesa, meanwhile, said 20 out of the 1,241 validated FMR projects in Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Davao region were not implemented, based on the latest report of the IAS.
The DA has P33 billion in funds for 1,600 FMR projects in 2026, totaling 2,300 kilometers in length, with an estimated cost of PHP14 million per kilometer.
In total, there are 6,428 FMR projects worth P109.53 billion from 2021 to 2026, according to the FMR watch transparency portal of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE).
At least 3,135 of the said FMR projects were reportedly completed nationwide.
