The National Bureau of Investigation Public Corruption Division will launch a probe into possible anomalies and ghost flood control projects in Davao Region. Atty. Arcelito Albao, the NBI-SEMRO director, confirmed that the regional office will act as a support unit for the NBI Manila’s Public Corruption Division, which is leading the investigation. The investigation comes as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continues its investigation into substandard and “ghost” flood control projects nationwide, and Malacañang has also formed an independent commission to build cases for prosecution. Meanwhile, 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has denied the existence of “ghost projects” in his district, stating that the funds went to visible, functioning infrastructure, and has challenged investigators to find evidence of ghost projects, saying “If you really want to look for ghost projects under that ₱51 billion, go ahead, investigate it all.” The actual budget for Davao City’s flood control and other infrastructure projects from 2020 to 2022 was over ₱49 billion.
