The country’s anti-corruption watchdog will this week begin investigating allegations of fraud in flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Tuesday his office needed “just another day of evaluation” before forming investigative panels to examine six complaints involving projects in Oriental Mindoro and Bulacan province that the Justice Department submitted on Oct. 14, 2025.

The investigation centers on a P289.5-million peso flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, which the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) flagged in a September report as potentially anomalous.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa regional office contracted Sunwest Inc. to build a road dike along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River, according to the complaints.

But investigators allege the projects were either substandard or non-existent.

Among the 18 officials targeted in the probe is Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co, who faces potential charges alongside contractors and regional infrastructure officials, according to the commission’s 32-page report submitted Sept. 20.

The complaints include allegations of malversation, falsification by public officers, perjury and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Separate cases from Bulacan province also implicate district public works officials and their contractors.

The preliminary investigation will determine whether sufficient evidence exists to indict the accused before the Sandiganbayan.