MANILA — Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana may face impeachment after former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara claimed he facilitated about P1.4 billion worth of budget insertions for flood control projects.

Lipana’s wife, Marilou, serves as president and general manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corporation, which reportedly received P200 million worth of DPWH flood control projects.

“We should perhaps refer the matter of Commissioner Lipana’s involvement based on the testimony of Engineer Alcantara to the Committee on Justice because this looks like an impeachable offense,” said Senator Kiko Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the multi-billion flood control corruption issue.

Pangilinan asked Alcantara: “Mr. Chairman, I understand he was an incumbent commissioner ng Commission on Audit. Tama ba yun? Commissioner ng Commission on Audit na lumalako ng flood control na projects sa inyo sa district sa Bulacan. Tama ba yun?”

He also questioned the potential conflict of interest: “Dahil kayo ay inau-audit ng COA di ba? Paano magiging maayos ang audit kung mayroon hinihiling na proyekto sa inyo di ba? Dahil doon sa iyong pakiwari dahil nga nagfa-follow up siya sayo taon-taon yun diba? At may lumalabas sa hinihingi nya na flood control na listahan?”

Alcantara testified that Lipana first contacted him in 2022 to request a list of flood control projects under his jurisdiction. Based on the list provided, Alcantara said the budget insertions totaled P1.4 billion—P500 million in 2023, P400 million in 2024, and P500 million in 2025.