The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has confirmed that 14 alleged ghost project cases are currently pending and under review by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman, according to DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Bernabe said the final number of ghost projects is still being validated, but cases involving 14 projects have already been formally lodged and are undergoing investigation.
He added that at least one case in Bulacan has progressed to court and has been confirmed as a ghost project.
Bernabe explained that confusion surrounding some of the reported ghost projects stemmed from errors in grid or mapping coordinates submitted during the planning stage.
He said the coordinates uploaded to official platforms, including those referenced in reports to the President, were based on MYPS planning coordinates, which may differ from the actual “as-staked” or final construction coordinates.
“‘Yon kasing naisubmit eh ay yung mga MYPS coordinates na yun yung ginagamit during the planning stage. Ngunit iba yun doon sa coordinates kung saan na kinoconstruct yung infrastructure,” Bernabe said.
“May nai-declare ang suspected ghost [project, doon naman pinuntahan na yung actual na site. Meron naman palang iba. Meron naman nagawa sa ibang mga coordinator.”
He stressed that validation efforts involve on-site inspections to determine whether projects are truly non-existent, relocated, or potentially substandard.
Bernabe said the DPWH, together with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), is reviewing the remaining 416 projects that were initially flagged as suspected ghost projects.
Aside from determining whether projects exist, Bernabe said the agency is also checking if completed structures meet required standards.
“Kapag nakita na dati na nasa ibang coordinates yung struktura, atin pa rin po ang bineberipika kung substandard naman. Kung tama po ba yung... pagkagawa ng infrastructure,” he said.
Addressing concerns about reputational damage to local public works officials and communities named in earlier reports, Bernabe said the DPWH is committed to correcting the record once validations are complete.
He acknowledged the distress caused by the initial reports and said the agency aims to clearly identify areas where coordinate errors led to false suspicions.
Bernabe also clarified reports involving Quezon City, saying joint inspections conducted with the Quezon City local government unit found no ghost projects in the areas initially flagged.
“Doon po sa unang ni-report, mayroon na pong joint inspection and validation at wala naman pong nakitang ghost doon po,” he said.
Investigations into the remaining cases continue, with some still undergoing preliminary review while others remain with the DOJ and the Ombudsman for further action.
