Philippine flood-control projects made substandard to allow huge kickbacks, Senate inquiry told

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Most flood control projects, road and other infrastructure projects built in a Philippine province near the capital in the last six years were substandard or overpriced to compensate for huge kickbacks given to congressmen and senators, a televised Senate inquiry was told on Tuesday.

The allegation was made by two former government engineers who helped oversee the works since 2019 in Bulacan, one of the country's most flood-prone provinces with more than 3.7 million people.

The sworn statements made by Brice Ericson Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee further deepen a corruption scandal involving mostly flood control projects which have sparked public outrage and protests in the capital region over the weekend.

On Sunday, police quelled a rampage by black-clad demonstrators, who hurled rocks, bottles and firebombs at anti-riot police and burned a container van barricade near the presidential palace in Manila. More than 200 people were arrested during the disturbances in which 100 law enforcers were injured.

Newly designated Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon separately said in a news conference Wednesday that an internal investigation found another 10 regional officials and engineers in his department who either have “lavish lifestyles beyond their means,” like traveling in private jets, or were implicated in infrastructure anomalies.

“The gravity of the problem is unthinkable,” Dizon said.

Under questioning by senators, Hernandez alleged that since 2019, infrastructure projects in Bulacan province have not been built according to approved specifications. Cheaper and longer-drying cement and low-quality construction materials were used to cover kickbacks, usually about 20% of the project cost or higher, for corrupt legislators and officials, he claimed.

“Not one of the specifications in the plans were followed,” Hernandez said. “All of those were not met.”

When asked by Sen. Erwin Tulfo if Bulacan schools and hospitals could crumble in a strong earthquake because of the anomalies, Mendoza said government buildings were built in Bulacan based on approved specifications, but that construction costs were bloated to compensate for the kickbacks.

Manuel Bonoan, whose recent resignation as Public Works secretary was accepted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., told the inquiry he was unaware of the irregularities.

"This is the first time that I have heard about all these shenanigans,” Bonoan said when asked by senators to comment.

Hernandez and Mendoza have been dismissed from the Public Works Department's district office in Bulacan after acknowledging their role in the anomalies. Both have been accused of using huge kickbacks they pocketed to finance expensive lifestyles.

The pair are facing criminal complaints and have sought government protection in exchange for their disclosures against powerful legislators and politicians.

Hernandez and Mendoza also backed a statement by their former superior, engineer Henry Alcantara, who told the inquiry on Tuesday that legislator Rep. Zaldy Co received kickbacks from them through the legislator’s representatives in two hotels and in his upscale residence.

Co, an ally of Marcos, said the allegations against him were “false and baseless” and added that he would answer them before the proper forum.

Several House legislators, two senators and other public officials have been identified and implicated in the largescale corruption but have denied any wrongdoing.

As well as claims of existing substandard infrastructure, other flood-control projects have been reported as completed but allegedly were non-existent, including one Marcos said he discovered during a recent personal inspection in Bulacan, a notoriously flood-prone province.

The president first highlighted the flood-control corruption scandal in July in his annual state of the nation speech. He later established an independent commission to investigate what he said were anomalies in many of the 9,855 flood-control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos ($9.5 billion) that were supposed to have been undertaken since he took office in mid-2022.

Marcos has described the alleged scale of corruption as “horrible.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairperson Senate Blue Ribbon committee speaks during investigations on flood-control projects in Pasay city, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Former DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara talks during investigations on flood-control projects at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in Pasay city, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Private contractors Pacifico Discaya, left, and wife Sarah talk during a break on investigations on flood-control projects at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in Pasay city, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Former DPWH Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, third from left, speaks during investigations on flood-control projects at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in Pasay city, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Former DPWH Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez speaks during investigations on flood-control projects at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in Pasay city, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)