MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to file charges over three ghost flood control projects in Bulacan.

“They just validated the information of three ghost projects that they found within the coordinates given in the Isumbong mo kay Pangulo website. So, they’re just tying up the loose ends so that we can file a case on that,” Remulla told reporters.

He estimated the projects involve around PHP300 million in total.

“On the average, that would be PHP300 million and PHP100 million per district per project package. Kasi parang naging pattern na, PHP96 million, PHP97 million, PHP100 million, PHP95 billion. So, if you talk about three packages, then that’s around PHP300 million. We just have to do something about it. And we will pursue it to the very end,” he said.

Remulla also clarified that although he spoke by phone with Senator Rodante Marcoleta, he did not give “unqualified assurance” that Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya—owners of firms with the largest share of flood control projects—would be admitted as government witnesses.

“We spoke on the phone for a few minutes. And it’s not supposed to mean that I already committed to make a state witness somebody I’ve never met in my life,” he said.

Remulla added that there are strict standards for state witness applications.

“The first question is, are they telling the whole truth? Yun muna yung tatanungin mo,” he said, noting that the Discaya couple’s record as contractors must also be evaluated.

“We have to find out first the elements of the crime before we make judgement on the readiness to become a state witness. Hindi naman ganoon kadali yan,” he added.(PNA)