For the latest updates on the flood control controversy and related cases and investigations, skip to this section.
For weeks, news of the flood control controversy has flooded everyone’s social media feeds. Both ordinary citizens and celebrities have taken part in calling out politicians, businessmen, and their relatives for allegations of corruption and ostentatious displays of wealth. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm) also began separate probes into the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the 15 contractors linked to the ghost flood control projects, yielding even more accusations and scandals.
It’s a lot to take in, so here’s a quick timeline.
During the State of the Nation Address on July 28, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called for an audit on the flood control projects under his administration after the country was hit with a series of storms and subsequent floods.
According to the president, an initial review revealed that 20 percent of the flood control projects, costing P100 billion, were all undertaken by 15 contractors.
On August 19, the Senate held its first hearing, attended by DPWH officials and representatives of eight of the listed contractors.
A few days later, Sarah Discaya and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya became subjects of scrutiny when Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto — whom Sarah ran against in the midterm elections — called out news anchors Julius Babao and Korina Sanchez for featuring the couple in “rags to riches” video features. Sarah Discaya, owner of Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., notably did not attend the Senate’s first hearing.
On September 1, Vince Dizon began his term as the DPWH’s new secretary, leaving his post at the Department of Transportation after the previous Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan stepped down amid calls to clean up the agency. Dizon announced that he would update the DPWH’s blacklisting policy to make it permanent instead of limiting it to a year.
That same day, Discaya attended the second Senate hearing, where she told lawmakers that her family had started bidding for DPWH contracts in 2016, the year that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build Program was inaugurated. At the hearing, Wawao Builders General Manager Mark Allan Arevalo struggled to tell senators whether the firm had ghost projects in Bulacan.
On September 4, the DPWH placed Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction Trading after finding that their Bulacan projects were incomplete despite being written as complete in agency records.
Protesters took to the office of St. Gerrard Construction, one of the Discayas’ other firms, in Pasig City and vandalized its gate, while others picketed outside the DPWH office in Manila. On September 5, protesters held demonstrations outside the House of Representatives in Quezon City as lawmakers held a budget hearing for the DPWH indoors.
On September 8, the Senate held its third hearing, where the Discayas named several congressmen, their staff, and DPWH officials allegedly involved in the anomalous flood control projects, including actor and Quezon City First District Representative Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde. Curlee Discaya said that the solons received kickbacks from said projects.
Later that day, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero was ousted from his position as Senate president after 15 other lawmakers voted to replace him with Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Escudero is linked to the flood control controversy through Centerways Construction and Development Inc. President Lawrence Lubiano, who contributed P30 million to Escudero’s campaign for the senatorship in 2022.
The ouster marks Sotto’s second term as Senate president, and also saw Sen. Jinggoy Estrada replaced by Sen. Ping Lacson as Senate president pro tempore and Sen. Joel Villanueva replaced by Sen. Migz Zubiri as majority leader. Lacson also replaced Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
At a House InfraComm hearing on September 9, former DPWH Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez claimed that he and other engineers acted as bagmen for agency officials and senators, naming Estrada, Villanueva, DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara. The senators have denied their involvement in the flood control projects.
Can you keep up? Read on for the latest news.
Last updated 6:54 p.m., December 12, 2025. Bookmark this page to stay updated on the flood control projects scandal and all related news.
Latest Updates
Zaldy Co Passport Canceled, Portuguese Authorities Alerted
On Thursday, December 11, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that the Philippine government has already reached out to Portugal to find and repatriate Zaldy Co, whose passport was canceled on Wednesday, December 10, on an order issued by the Sandiganbayan.
“All countries, all centers for transnational crimes all around the world have been informed that Zaldy Co’s passport has been canceled,” Remulla said on the GMA news program Balitanghali. Remulla said that Co also holds a Portuguese passport, but the claim has not yet been verified, according to Rappler.
Sarah Discaya Surrenders to NBI
NBI Acting Director Lito Magno confirmed on Wednesday, December 10, that Sarah Discaya has placed herself under the agency’s custody in anticipation of the issuance of an arrest warrant against her. Discaya and regional DWPH officers in Davao Occidental face charges of malversation and falsification of public documents in connection with a ghost project worth almost P100 million. The contractor, however, denies being involved in corruption schemes in the province, and asserts that her luxury cars were not paid for with illegal funds. “Hindi naman ito more of ‘sumuko.’ Para rin itong safekeeping,” she tells ABS-CBN News of her surrender.
Blue Notice Out vs. Zaldy Co As 8 DPWH Mindoro Officials Arrested
An International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) blue notice has been issued on Zaldy Co, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Monday, November 24. The blue notice seeks additional information about the former congressman, including his location and activities. Remulla also said that a red notice seeking his arrest may also be out soon, as an arrest warrant has been issued against Co.
Co is one among 16 officials whom the Sandiganbayan has issued arrest warrants in relation to a P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. Meanwhile, eight other regional officials have been arrested.
The arrest warrant for Co comes days after he released videos in which he alleged that President Bongbong Marcos ordered insertions worth P100 billion into the national budget. The palace denied the accusations.
DPWH Launches Transparency Portal
On Monday, November 24, the government launched the DPWH Transparency Portal, an interactive database of infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2025, accessible to citizens through https://transparency.dpwh.gov.ph/.
According to the DPWH, there are currently 247,172 contracts, all amounting to P6.359 trillion, including those for procurement, not yet started, ongoing, completed, and terminated. Citizens can search for projects by contract name, location, or contractor; filter searches by category, location, and year; and report issues or anomalies with the projects with the click of a button.
“Isa sa pinakamahalagang bagay na maliwanag na maliwanag na lumabas sa lahat ng mga imbestigasyon sa lahat ng mga pangyayari ay nawalan tayo ng transparency,” Marcos said in a Palace press briefing on Monday.
DOJ, Ombudsman to File Charges vs Public Officials; Villanueva, Estrada, and Co to Undergo Preliminary Investigation
The Office of the Ombudsman and the DOJ are set to file cases against 14 to 15 public officials before November 25, Ombudsman and former Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday, October 30. The cases are in relation to the flood control anomalies in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.
Remulla said that among the officials undergoing preliminary investigation are the DPWH’s provincial officials and a top official, who is “indictable” at the Sandiganbayan. He also said that the official’s name will be revealed after the case has been filed.
The Ombudsman is confident that the cases to be filed are strong enough to withstand trial and result in convictions of the officials involved.
Remulla also said that Zaldy Co and senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada will no longer undergo a fact-finding investigation or case build-up after the ICI recommended filing charges against them in a report. The lawmakers’ cases will instead go straight to the preliminary investigation phase, as the ICI’s report was submitted with evidence. “Most of the fact-finding has been done already by the ICI, which makes the facts vetted or validated,” said Remulla.
ICI to Livestream Flood Control Hearings, Welcomes Bill Establishing Independent People’s Commission
On October 22, Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Chairperson Andres Bernal Reyes Jr. told the Senate that the commission will begin broadcasting its hearings next week, amid calls for transparency in its independent probe of flood control infrastructure anomalies.
Reyes, a former associate justice of the Supreme Court, said, “We don’t have the facilities or the rules of procedure, but we will try to shorten the process despite not having formal rules yet… We will now go on livestream next week, once we have the technical capability.”
He also welcomed the passage of a Senate bill that would establish the Independent People’s Commission (IPC). The proposed commission would carry on the ICI’s fact-finding mission as well as strengthen its mandate, granting it powers to subpoena, get full access to all government records, and seek government assistance to secure the investigation and protect witnesses.
DPWH: No Flood Control Documents Burned in Office Fire
After a fire broke out at one of DPWH’s office buildings in Quezon City on October 22, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said that all documents related to the flood control investigation remain safe. The agency earlier explained that the fire happened at the Materials Testing Division in the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building.
The BRS is responsible for research, studies, pilot testing, and the formulation of policies for government infrastructure projects. DPWH Assistant Secretary Melody Villar said most records affected by the fire are safely stored in the agency’s central database.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has ordered an investigation into the fire. While the Bureau of Fire Protection cites an electrical short circuit in the BRS building as the cause of the fire, Remulla told reporters, “It’s rare for fires to occur in new buildings, so that’s really doubtful.”
End of Flood Control Probe Looms as Erwin Tulfo Assumes Blue Ribbon Chairmanship
On October 8, Sen. Erwin Tulfo was assigned as the acting chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee after Sen. Ping Lacson stepped down earlier that week. Tulfo said that the Senate is still looking to invite Congressmen Zaldy Co and Martin Romualdez to its investigation into flood control anomalies. Co’s whereabouts remain unconfirmed as of this writing.
With the Senate adjourning for a month-long break, Tulfo said on October 12 that the Blue Ribbon Committee will be holding two final hearings on the flood control projects in November. According to the senator, the hearings, held in aid of legislation, will be used to craft laws to prevent budget insertions in the future. The Senate’s findings will also be given to the ICI for its investigation into the flood control anomalies.
After the Blue Ribbon Committee concludes its probe of the flood control projects, it will start a new round of inquiries focusing on the DPWH’s “overpriced” farm-to-market road projects.
Zaldy Co Resigns, Citing ‘Real, Direct, Grave, and Imminent’ Threat to His Life
Zaldy Co stepped down as Ako Bikol representative on Monday, September 29, after being accused of masterminding the flood control kickback scheme. The resignation letter posted on his Facebook page says, “On account of the real, direct, grave, and imminent threat to the lives of my family members and me, and the evident denial of my right to due process of law, I am constrained to tender with immediate effect my irrevocable resignation as a member of the House of Representatives.”
In the letter, Co denies “masterminding, tolerating, and allowing” last-minute budget insertions to the 2025 General Appropriations Act. He also denied that he and his family engaged in ostentatious displays of wealth in public. He added that he aims to “address the sham and baseless accusations” at the “appropriate time and before the appropriate forum.” He was earlier denounced by his son, fashion designer Ellis Co, who implored him in a statement to return to the country and face the people.
Baguio Mayor Magalong Resigns from ICI
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has resigned as the special adviser to the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), which is currently conducting an independent investigation into flood control anomalies.
Malacañang recently reviewed his assignment to the ICI following concerns about a conflict of interest, with his role as Baguio mayor casting doubt on his ability to be an independent and impartial adviser in the investigations. “I refuse to allow these doubts to weaken the ICI and its mandate. That is why I have chosen to step aside, not to abandon the fight, but to protect the very integrity of the fight,” said Magalong on Friday, September 26.
DOJ Eyes Prosecuting 21 Individuals, Blue Notice for Zaldy Co
On Friday, September 26, the DOJ released the names of 21 individuals who will be subjected to case build-up under the National Prosecution Service. The list was based on the recommendation of the NBI.
- Former Cong. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co
- Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero
- Sen. Joel Villanueva
- Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
- Former Sen. Bong Revilla
- Former Cong. Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Cajayon-Uy
- DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo
- DPWH Bulacan District Engr. Henry Alcantara
- Assistant District Engr. Brice Hernandez
- Engr. Jaypee Mendoza
- Engr. Arjay Domasig
- Maynard Ngu, CEO of Cosmic Technologies and Escudero’s alleged bagman
- Carleen Y. Villa, staffer to former Sen. Nancy Binay
- DPWH Project Engr. John Carlo Rivera
- Linda “Victoria” Macanas, CEO of Chrizmarie Builders & Construction Supply
- Juanito Mendoza, DPWH Bulacan chief accountant
- Sally Nicolas Santos, owner of SYMS Construction
- Jesse Mahusay, general manager of Jelsie Construction and Supply
- Alias “Beng Ramos,” identified as Estrada’s staffer
- Alias “Mina”
- Alias “Andrei Balatbat”
The House of Representatives revoked Co’s travel clearance on September 18, and he was given 10 days to return to the Philippines. According to Malacañang, the DOJ has requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a blue notice on Co, which would help authorities learn of the lawmaker’s whereabouts.
NBI Recommends Criminal Charges vs. Lawmakers After Senate Hearing
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 23, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recommended the filing of criminal charges against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, Congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, former Caloocan Second District Rep. Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Cajayon-Uy, former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo, and Alcantara.
This comes after Alcantara delivered his affidavit at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday morning. In his statement, he alleged that Villanueva, Estrada, Co, and Uy all received kickbacks from anomalous flood control contracts. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who was present at the hearing, then took Alcantara’s affidavit to the DOJ for review and to assess the DPWH engineer’s eligibility for witness protection.
According to Remulla the NBI determined that the lawmakers and DPWH officials may be charged with indirect bribery and malversation of public funds. Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Council is set to issue a freeze order for the assets of those implicated in Alcantara’s affidavit.
Romualdez to Step Down as House Speaker
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez will be stepping down from his post on Wednesday, September 17, Antipolo City First District Representative Ronaldo Puno confirmed in a DZMM TeleRadyo interview on Wednesday morning.
Puno said Romualdez told lawmakers on Tuesday that he intended to resign from the speakership, citing controversy surrounding the flood control projects. “Gusto niyang ipagtanggol ang reputasyon ng Mababang Kapulungan,” said Puno.
He said Romualdez was eyeing Isabela Sixth District Representative Faustino “Bojie” Dy III to replace him. Dy currently serves as deputy speaker. Inquirer.net reports that the Leyte First District representative will remain in the House of Representatives to face corruption allegations.
This is the second leadership shakeup in a legislative chamber in relation to the flood control scandal after Escudero was voted out of his position as Senate president on September 8.
DPWH Files Graft Complaint vs. Bulacan Agency Officials, Contractors
On September 11, the DPWH filed a criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against 20 personnel of the agency’s Bulacan office and contractors involved in the province’s ghost flood control projects. The regional and district officials include district engineers Alcantara, Hernandez, and Jaypee Mendoza.
The contractors in the complaint are Wawao Builders General Manager Mark Allan Arevalo, SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos, IM Construction President Robert Imperio, and St. Timothy Construction owners Sarah Discaya and Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando.
In the September 8 Senate hearing, Santos alleged that the DPWH Bulacan officials handled the documents and signatures to record SYMS Construction Trading’s projects as complete. According to her, the money from the contracts awarded to the company would be deposited into her account, and she would then deliver a cut of the money back to the involved DPWH officials in boxes.
The complaint filed by the national DPWH office cites violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Government Procurement Act, and malversation through falsification of public documents. Dizon noted in a press briefing that these violations are non-bailable. He also called the complaint “the first among many cases against those who need to be held accountable.”
Marcos Signs EO Forming Independent Commission to Probe Flood Control, Other Infra Irregularities
On September 11, Marcos signed an executive order forming the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), a three-member body mandated to investigate alleged corruption, irregularities, and misuse of funds in government flood control and related projects within the last 10 years.
The ICI will be made of a chairperson and two members “of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.” No other announcements have been made regarding its members. Rappler reports that earlier in the week, Marcos said that no politicians will be appointed to the new commission as the investigative work involves a “technical exercise.”
