THE initial hearing for the preliminary investigation into five cases involving ghost flood control projects in Bulacan has been rescheduled to Nov. 14, following the suspension of government work due to Super Typhoon Uwan, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday. DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said the postponement aims to ensure that all concerned parties are properly notified and can participate in the proceedings amid the widespread disruptions caused by the typhoon. Martinez noted that the department is working to complete the serving of subpoenas before the rescheduled hearing. Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon confirmed the hearing will proceed on Nov. 14, provided that all subpoenas are served by then. During the opening hearing, the respondents will be issued copies of the complaints against them, the first step in the preliminary investigation. The investigation covers allegations of malversation through falsification of public documents under Article 217 in relation to Article 171, Paragraph 4 of the Revised Penal Code; perjury under Article 183; and violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The respondents include former and current officials and personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH): former district engineer Henry Alcantara, former assistant district engineers Brice Ericson Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, project engineers Arjay Domasig and Nino Lawrence Morales, finance section chief Juanito Mendoza, administrative section chief Floralyn Simbulan, and cashier Christina Mae Pineda. Sally Santos, representative of Syms Construction, was also among the respondents. Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said the Bulacan cases are part of a nationwide investigation into anomalous flood control projects, many of which were allegedly “ghost” works — paid for despite no actual structures being built. “Many payments were made based on certificates of completed projects when there were no actual structures erected,” Andres said. “We are confident the evidence we have gathered is sufficient to build strong cases that should be filed in court.” “The present legal framework and existing laws, together with functioning institutions, are very much capable of ensuring accountability,” he said, emphasizing that the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman are working closely so that no one is charged without credible and admissible evidence. The DOJ and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) have so far secured eight freeze orders from the Court of Appeals, covering an estimated P6.3 billion in assets — including bank accounts, luxury vehicles, insurance contracts, and even aircraft — believed to have been purchased using proceeds from the anomalous projects. “These freeze orders are powerful tools of government to ensure that stolen funds can be returned to the national treasury,” Andres said. A second batch of six cases is undergoing case build-up and will likely be filed soon. Andres confirmed that the batch will include “higher-ranking officials,” including senators and congressmen who allegedly received kickbacks from the flood control contracts. “You can expect a congressman, past or present, to be involved in the next batch of cases. There will also be senators and other proponents who benefited,” he said. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier deputized the DOJ to assist in the case build-up and preliminary investigation of flood control projects, citing the limited manpower of the Office of the Ombudsman. The investigations, according to DOJ officials, are part of the Marcos administration’s intensified campaign against large-scale corruption in public infrastructure spending — beginning with the alleged irregularities in Bulacan flood control projects, where ghost projects, falsified completion reports, and illicit kickbacks have cost taxpayers billions.