(UPDATE) A VISIBLY upset President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the government is poised to file charges of economic sabotage against erring contractors after inspecting a nonexistent river wall project in Bulacan that was reported as having been completed at a cost of P55 million.
“I’m very angry,” the President said when he discovered that “not even one hollow block” was put in place in Barangay Piel in Baliuag.
“More than [being] disappointed, I am getting very angry,” Marcos said in a chance interview following his inspection.
NO WALL President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits the site of a riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025. PPA POOL PHOTO/MIKE ALQUINTO
“Nothing. Imagine, 220 meters, worth P55 million, completed according to the record of Public Works, but nothing. Really nothing. No work was done even for a single day,” he added in Filipino. ”Go there, you won’t see anything. There is constant flooding on the other side. If all these projects were properly completed or implemented, the problem would have been eliminated.”
The contract for the construction of a dike and reinforced concrete river wall in Purok 4 of Barangay Piel at a cost of P55.7 million was awarded to Syms Construction Trading. The actual start date indicated was Feb. 2, 2025, and the contract expiry date was Oct. 22, 2025.
There were also receipts showing the project was fully paid.
Marcos’ dismay was apparent when he found the location of the supposed flood-mitigation structure bare, and he ordered the Commission on Audit to scrutinize all flood control deals in Bulacan. He also blacklisted the contractor, Syms Construction Trading.
“It’s very obvious that it (the project) was not completed. So, immediately, that’s falsification. So, that’s already a very big violation,” he said. “We need to charge them with economic sabotage.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits what was reported as a completed riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, on Aug. 20, 2025, only to find out that ‘not a single hollow block’ was put in place. The project, which was supposed to have started in February was worth around P55 million, according to government records and was awarded to contractor, Syms Construction Trading. An ‘extremely’ disappointed president threatened to file economic sabotage charges against erring contractors. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
“The way we see it, the debt of the Philippine government, of the Republic, could be reduced if all this was done in a proper way. Because now we will look back on this, where did the money go? We will chase it; we will sue them. How long will that take? In the meantime, we have to actually still build the flood control project,” he added.
‘You have no shame!’
In a separate social media post, the President blasted those behind the bogus project for being “shameless” and benefiting from public funds.
“Why was it hidden? You have no shame! We will not let this pass. All officials who authorized and colluded with this will be suspended and prosecuted for violating the Anti-Corruption and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents,” he said on a Facebook post.
The President blamed the unscrupulous contractors and government officials who colluded with them during his State of the Nation Address in July for the floods that displaced thousands of families during the three successive storms and southwest monsoon rains that swamped the country in June and July, and vowed to bring the full force of the law against them.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan admitted during a Senate investigation on the government’s flood control projects on Tuesday that there were ghost projects, 85 of which were in Bulacan.
Systemic corruption
Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he has uncovered a web of corruption in government flood control projects, where contractors colluded with public works officials in pocketing billions in public funds allotted for infrastructure against massive flooding during typhoons.
In a privilege speech on Wednesday, the senator outlined how 60 percent of the budget for flood control projects went to corruption, leaving only 40 percent for the project implementation.
Lacson revealed ghost flood control projects in Bulacan, Pampanga and Oriental Mindoro — most of which were uniformly funded with over P77.155 million.
For over 15 years, from 2011 to 2025, Congress appropriated over P1.9 trillion for flood control management programs under the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways alone.
“When we are speaking in trillions of pesos, we can expect our streets and low-lying communities to be flood-free when the rains pour. Corruption has been so pervasive and systemic that doing so is like a piece of cake,” Lacson said.
“And when I say ‘piece of cake,’ I mean that funds for a specific project are divided, shares vary depending on greed, big parts swallowed by corrupt operators, both from the public and private sectors, leaving only crumbs for actual project implementation,” he said.
WITH BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
