PRESS RELEASE

Rep. Antonio Tinio ACT Teachers PL May 19, 2026

Tinio asks Ombudsman to probe Davao and Matina River flood control projects; submits House Resolution, documents, and findings on P4.44B red flags

ACT Teachers Party-list Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio submitted today a formal letter to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla urging an immediate investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects along the Davao River and Matina River, stressing that accountability must be anchored on project-level facts, physical verification, and the responsibility of all public officials and private contractors involved.

Together with the letter, Tinio transmitted supporting documents, ACT Teachers’ independent findings, and relevant House materials, including a House Resolution on the Davao flood control issue, for the Ombudsman’s action.

“The anger of the Filipino people against corrupt officials is valid. Almost a year has passed since the flood control corruption investigation began, yet no high-ranking official has been held accountable,” Tinio said. “We are submitting our independent findings and asking the Ombudsman to act decisively—because this is not just about paper anomalies, this is about lives put at risk by unfinished and questionable flood control projects.”

ACT Teachers’ review covered 121 flood control projects along the Davao and Matina Rivers from 2019 to 2022. Tinio said the party-list has red-flagged at least 80 contracts amounting to ₱4.44 billion due to multiple irregularities, including: total overlap of contracts on identical river sections (₱135M); double funding where the same project appeared twice in the 2020 GAA and was awarded to different contractors (₱115M); location changes and shortened project lengths despite near-full payment (₱425M); contracts lacking specifications such as station numbers or defined lengths (₱3.56B); contracts with no corresponding GAA line item (₱623M); and incomplete projects long past expiry dates (₱713M), including items tagged “100% complete” while still “On-Going,” and one project reportedly only 64% complete after five years.

“These red flags strongly point to possible ghost projects, double payment, illegal expenditures, and systematic shortchanging—enabled by the absence of verifiable specifications. That is why we are urging the Ombudsman to prioritize physical verification along the Davao and Matina rivers and establish clear accountability,” Tinio said.

Tinio noted that 49 of the 80 red-flagged contracts were identified as congressional insertions concentrated in Davao City’s 1st Legislative District, emphasizing that the Ombudsman’s probe must determine who initiated, endorsed, approved, implemented, and benefited from these items, and whether procurement and implementation complied with law and public interest.

“The Ombudsman must examine the full chain of accountability—from budget itemization and approvals to bidding, implementation, inspection, and payment—because this involves billions in public funds and flood control projects that directly impact public safety,” Tinio said.

“Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot!” Tinio said. “Unahin dapat ang aktuwal na beripikasyon sa Davao River at Matina River. Ilantad dapat ang mga ghost project, dobleng pondo, at pagkukulang sa proyekto. Panagutin dapat ang mga opisyal at kontratistang kumita habang nalalagay sa peligro ang mga taga-Davao.”

Tinio urged the Ombudsman to give priority attention to incomplete projects and those tagged “100% complete” but still marked “On-Going,” stressing that unfinished flood control infrastructure leaves residents vulnerable to deadly flooding and may constitute criminal negligence if public funds were released despite non-completion.

“This probe must produce results. The public deserves accountability, and Davao residents deserve flood control that actually protects them—not paper projects and suspicious contracts,” Tinio said.

HR 464 and its supporting documents were first submitted to the ICI last December but it was not probed.