THE P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan — for which former Senator Bong Revilla has been charged and detained — is one perfect example of a ghost project.
In a hearing conducted by the Sandiganbayan Third Division, Bulacan First District Engineering Office OIC Kenneth Fernando hinted at the results of an inspection conducted by his team.
According to Fernando, they found no visible structure at the site where a flood control structure is supposed to be constructed. He however admitted seeing minimal signs of rusting sheet piles.
“There is no accomplishment, your honor,” when asked about the project’s status by the Sandiganbayan Third Division contingent inspection on Wednesday.
The project, which prosecutors aptly referred to as a ghost project under a contract number ending in 299, was supposed to span 128 meters.
Fernando stressed there “are no structures seen,” which is why he said “zero accomplishment.”
Defense lawyers present during the inspection disputed the claim, saying sheet piles could be buried underground and that the assessment lacked technical basis.
Sandiganbayan Third Division Chairperson Karl Miranda directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) maintenance personnel to verify whether buried sheet piles were present.
“The court should be able to satisfy itself,” said Miranda, the only Sandiganbayan Associate Justice of the Third Division who walked on the entire stretch of the grassy and uneven path that was supposed to be the location of the P92.8 million project.
The maintenance crew later trimmed tall grass covering the area and found at least three sets of barely visible, rusting sheet piles.
The inspection was conducted after two prosecution witnesses earlier gave conflicting accounts of the project’s location, including a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) witness who pointed to a site adjacent the actual project area.
The NBI witness, Atty. Ivan Samson, earlier testified before the Sandiganbayan that the coordinates of the adjacent site were provided by DPWH officials when he sought the location of the P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
The adjacent site had visible structures but remained unfinished.
The prosecution panel said the inspection strengthened its claim that the project is a ghost project, despite the presence of barely visible, rusting sheet piles.
“Definitely, there is no structure there. We don’t even know if those are really sheet piles or how long they are. It appears they were placed a long time ago because they are already rusting and the area is covered with heavy vegetation,” the prosecution said.
During the same inspection, DPWH Engr. John Michael Ramos, project engineer of the adjacent flood control project, testified that it is separate from the project which involved Revilla et al.
Ramos, who was present during the inspection, identified the site of the project with a contract number ending in 647, which has an existing structure.
From that location, there was a 40-meter gap to the site of the P92.8-million project, as identified by District Engr. Fernando.
“The current district engineer pointed to us the actual location of the contract number ending in 299 [in the Revilla case], which is far from 647. So the location is now settled. The fact that it is a ghost project is now settled,” the prosecution said, adding that there is no overlapping, as testified to by the project engineer of 647,” it added.
Defense lawyers agreed that no visible structures were seen on the surface but maintained that sheet piles and concrete piles were embedded in the riverbank.
Sandiganbayan Third Division Chairperson Miranda, however, clarified that the inspection team could not determine how deep the sheet piles were and that these were visible only in certain portions of the site.