Authorities have frozen 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies tied to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and contractors accused of anomalies in flood control projects, following a Court of Appeals order sought by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
The freeze, described as a landmark step, is part of an ongoing Senate probe and Ombudsman case that DPWH Secretary Vivencio Dizon said could involve “hundreds of billions” in public funds.
AMLC executive director Matthew David confirmed reports of suspicious withdrawals by contractors and their relatives, vowing to trace and recover the assets.
Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas applied the new Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) for the first time to investigate potential money-muling activities linked to the scandal.
Civic group Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran condemned the “brazen corruption,” calling it a theft of the nation’s future, while DPWH rolled out stricter procurement guidelines to prevent ghost projects.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 17, 2025
