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In this photo uploaded on Facebook on May 4, 2026 shows Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel during a consultative meeting with stakeholders in the rice industry.
DA-OSEC Comms
MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against several public works officials and private contractors over alleged irregularities involving eight "ghost" farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Davao Occidental.
Laurel filed the complaints on Thursday, May 21. He filed charges of corruption, malversation, falsification of public documents, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty against Department of Public Works and Highways officials and contractors over supposed ghost projects allegedly worth P94 million.
"The DA remains committed to ensuring accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, particularly in programs intended to benefit our farmers and rural communities," Laurel said in a statement.
These complaints involve allegedly unbuilt FMR projects spanning the barangays of Culaman, Datu Danwata, Demoloc, Tical and Manuel Peralta.
The contract values for these sites range between P10.02 million and P14.92 million.
In each locality, Laurel said the Agriculture department discovered an identical pattern where the respondents allegedly conspired to submit fabricated Project Status Reports, Statements of Work Accomplished, and vouchers to secure state payments for non-existent infrastructure.
The complaints cite violations of the complex crime of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code, alongside violations of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019).
Administratively, Laurel said the agency is pursuing severe penalties for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.
If convicted, the respondents mentioned in the complaint face up to 40 years of imprisonment, alongside fines and perpetual disqualification from holding any position in public office.
