Oriental Mindoro First District Rep. has denied any role in a multi-million peso flood control project that appears to exist only on paper, as investigations revealed the same infrastructure was funded three times in 2024 despite no visible construction.

Cong. Panaligan distanced himself from the controversial P192.99-million flood control project in Sitio Dike, Apitong, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, which government records show as completed but residents say does not exist.

“It seems unfair that we would be dragged into this when we were not the ones who inserted that project,” Panaligan said, responding to allegations over the missing infrastructure.

The project has drawn sharp criticism after Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed in a privilege speech that his team found no trace of the supposedly completed flood control structure during a site visit.

“The contract value is P192.99 million. According to documents from the DPWH website, this is already completed, but when my team visited, they found no project in Sitio Dike,” Lacson said.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor disclosed that the 2024 General Appropriations Act funded the same project three separate times with allocations totaling P750 million (200 million, P300 million, and P250 million).

“How can you find a project that in the GAA, there’s no barangay, imagine that, nothing was done until now,” Dolor said.

Barangay officials expressed outrage over the alleged ghost project.

Barangay Apitong Chairman Mel Eloponga said: “It’s very saddening and infuriating because even our barangay was used.”

Governor Dolor dared Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa officials to come clean about the ghost projects.