MANDAUE CITY- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag confirmed today the findings of alleged two “ghost” flood control projects in Balamban town, located in the western part of Cebu Province.
“Dalawa po yun na ghost projects. Yun po ang findings po that there’s two projects po that are ghost based on our investigation,” Matibag told Cebu based journalists in the sidelines of the unsealing of about P4.5 billion of Illicit cigarettes that were earlier seized jointly by the NBI and the Bureau of Customs in the Gothong wharf at Pier 7 here.
“May findings po, may report, doon naman po sa report may contractor at mga opisyal po ng DPWH yun atin pong subject,” Matibag added stressing the NBI acted as the complainant and the matter is now being handled by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fortify it to establish prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.”
NBI Cebu District Office (NBI CEBDO) Aqent-In-Charge Arnel Pura whose office has conducted the NBI probe disclosed that they discovered that the projects were not in the supposed locations that were indicated in the project plan.
Pura said they issued subpoena to the involved personalities where they found out that there were “three locations” for only one project.
“Kasi sinu poena natin sila lahat, DPWH saka yung COA at hindi nila ma-explain kung bakit may tatlong location na available isa sa contractor, isa sa DPWH at saka yung sa plano na naka base. Imaginen mo isang project bakit may tatlong location,” Pura said.
Contrary to earlier reports that the projects costs were P80 million pesos each, Director Matibag clarified that one cost P67M while the other, P96M.
After the NBI revealed the alleged “ghost projects”, former Cebu 3rd district Congressman Pablo John Garcia belied it in his social media post claiming that both projects in Balamban which is under the political jurisdiction of the district that he represented in congress from 2019 to 2025, were actually constructed and turned over to the LGU concerned.
In his FB page last July 2, 2026, Garcia posted photos of two projects with Contract ID 23HF0012 and Contract ID 24HF0003 which as the photos indicated were both awarded to HELM CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES which according to the NBI investigation were owned by one “WILHELM T. GO.”
Both were for the Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure at Combado River, Barangay Singsing, Balamban which according to the documents gathered by the NBI were constructed a year apart with different project costs, P67, 177, 531. 00 for Contract ID 23HF0012 which has a Notice of Award dated February 6, 2023 while Contract ID 24HF003 had a Contract Agreement dated February 8, 2024 – with a project cost of P96, 315, 000.00.
Ex-congressman Garcia did not posted however another “project” bearing Contract ID 23HF0014 which according to a Contract Agreement dated February 7, 2023 discovered by the NBI was named under a Cebu City based construction company located in Barangay Cogon Pardo (as shown by the document, it was signed by District Engineer SUZETTE NWANAKA of the DPWH 3rd Engineering District, the same DPWH official who also signed both the projects which were revealed by Garcia).
With a project cost of P66, 947, 542.00 the document submitted by NBI CEBDO to DOJ was for “Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure at Combado River, Sitio Combado, Barangay Cantuod, which was not already in “Barangay Singsing” unlike the two which were identified by former Congressman Garcia, whose earlier stint in office was from June 2007 to June 2013.
Garcia pointed out that the two projects which he identified have existed and infact withstood the wrath of Typhoon Tino which occured last November 2025.
“The facts are simple: THERE ARE NO GHOST PROJECTS. These two projects have been implemented, completed, turned over, accepted by the LGUs concerned and audited by the Commission on Audit (COA). Naagi-an na kini sa mga baha atol sa bagyong Tino, ug wala kini matumpag ug nagpabiling nagbarog.
Both Matibag and Pura did not say that a politician was involved in the controversy however but categorically said that it happened in the 3rd congressional district and that payments were already paid by the government for the said transactions.
“Sa 3rd district po yun ano po. Sa 3rd district po yun. Base sa findings ng NBI, wala silang nakita na proyekto pero yung dokumento may lumabas na bayad,” NBI Director Matibag said.
Apart ftom denying the ghost projects, Garcia suggested a joint reinspection to determine whether the infrastructure projects really existed.
“Ang solusyon pud niini, simple ra. A JOINT REINSPECTION CONDUCTED BY THE NBI, THE DPWH AND COA. Invite members of the media, civil society groups, bloggers, vloggers, and all concerned citizens. Jointly, let us see with our own eyes, and not through speculation, whether the projects are really there,” adding, it is not fair to conclude that there indeed were “ghost projects” as the NBI insinuated,
”Maghinay-hinay kita paggamit nianang termino nga “ghost project” because it is a highly charged and emotional term, and careers of professional civil servants are at stake. Pasagdi na lang kaming mga politiko, kay our reputations are, deservedly or not, already tarnished by damaged political institutions. It is the career civil servants’ careers and futures, however, that we should protect from unwarranted accusations.”the former Cebuano lawmaker said./
(NBI Director Melvin Matibag (leftmost) explains to the Cebu media the circumstances that led to the seizure of P4.5B illicit cigarettes. NBI CEBDO Agent-In-Charge Arnel Pura (rightmost) also joined the media interview)
(The photo of the flood mitigation project in Brgy. Singsing Balamban which former Cebu 3rd district Congressman PJ Garcia insisted was real and not a “ghost project”)
(The Contract of Agreement of the flood mitigation project in Barangay Cantuod, Balamban which the NBI claimed was among their evidence indicating a ghost project)
