Philippine authorities have begun pursuing 18 individuals connected to a river flood defense embezzlement scheme that sparked widespread demonstrations and forced senior legislative officials from power. Former Representative Zaldy Co., who abandoned his seat and left the country, faces charges alongside public works engineers and construction company executives over a deficient dike project that allegedly defrauded taxpayers of 289 million pesos. The anticorruption tribunal approved arrests without bail eligibility based on evidence of falsified documents and inferior construction along a waterway meant to shield communities from storm damage.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized that prosecutors built their case through infrastructure commission findings rather than political motivations. Immigration officials blocked suspects from departing while investigators coordinate with Interpol to locate Co, reportedly in Japan. The scandal extends beyond this single case, with more than 9,800 flood protection initiatives worth over 545 billion pesos under scrutiny for fraud since 2022. Finance ministry estimates suggest losses exceeding 118 billion pesos from nonexistent or substandard work.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized that prosecutors built their case through infrastructure commission findings rather than political motivations. Immigration officials blocked suspects from departing while investigators coordinate with Interpol to locate Co, reportedly in Japan. The scandal extends beyond this single case, with more than 9,800 flood protection initiatives worth over 545 billion pesos under scrutiny for fraud since 2022. Finance ministry estimates suggest losses exceeding 118 billion pesos from nonexistent or substandard work.
