The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two sets of cases related to the multibillion-peso flood control scam, but none involve high-ranking officials. This forms part of a thorough investigation under new Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla. The cases stem from projects in Oriental Mindoro and Davao Occidental worth over P386 million.
In the second half of 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman was busy with complaints about the multibillion-peso flood control scam, widely seen as the biggest corruption scandal under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration. After Samuel Martires' term ended on July 27, 2025, Jesus Crispin Remulla took office on October 10 and vowed a thorough probe. He reversed his predecessor's policies, including allowing the release of officials' statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth.
The investigation draws from reports by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Commission on Audit (COA), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon. Remulla also deputized Department of Justice prosecutors for probes into Bulacan projects.
He aimed to file 14 to 15 cases by year's end, aligning with Marcos' comment that some officials might spend Christmas behind bars. In a November interview, he named Senators Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva, plus former Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, as expected to face charges in December. However, arrest warrants did not materialize on December 15 or 16.
The first batch was filed on November 18 at the Sandiganbayan against fugitive ex-congressman Zaldy Co, 10 DPWH Region IV-B officials, and five Sunwest Inc. executives over a P289.5-million substandard project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Charges include graft and malversation of funds through falsification of documents. Sunwest was co-owned by Co.
The second batch, filed December 5 at the Regional Trial Court in Malita, Davao Occidental (later transferred to Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu), targets Sarah Discaya of St. Timothy Construction Corp., Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando, and eight DPWH Davao officials for a P96.5-million ghost project. All are detained.
"Of course, our standard here is ‘reasonable certainty of conviction.’ So, if once we push through (with the filing), we are looking at conviction as the result of our efforts. And of course, conviction means jail terms," Remulla said. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano noted they are gathering solid evidence like CCTV footage and call logs. "We are not after headlines here. This is not just for Instagram or TikTok. We are after true justice, true accountability."
The office plans wealth forfeiture cases under Republic Act 1379. A digital forensic exam is set for the late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral's computer. Despite ICI resignations, investigations continue, per Clavano.
