The National Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that P1.9 billion in flood control projects in the district of Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte were all awarded to a single contractor, a pattern the agency says it cannot ignore.
One contractor for one district
In an interview, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said a review of Department of Public Works and Highways records showed all P1.9 billion in projects in Duterte’s district went to Genesis 88 Construction Inc. “This is a specific area, a specific district, where only Genesis 88 got the contracts. So we have to look at it,” he said.
Genesis 88: a Duterte family friend
The company is owned by Glenn Escandor, a former presidential sports adviser who had earlier secured around P2.9 billion in Davao flood control contracts from 2021 to 2023. The NBI’s initial investigation also established that Genesis 88 is a “long-time friend” of the Dutertes, Matibag said. ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has separately sought investigations into billions in Davao flood projects, naming Genesis 88 as one of the area’s major contractors.
Unfinished projects and the scope of the probe
Matibag stressed that the P1.9 billion in projects have not been concluded as irregular, noting records show some began in 2024 and remain unfinished. “The investigation is to clear people and to indict people,” he said. The NBI is currently running a table analysis of documentary evidence, and subpoenas to Duterte or the contractor remain possible “if needed.”
Asked about the running taunt from the congressman, Matibag kept the focus on the documents: “What we are looking at is evidence and not speculation.”
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject district | Davao City 1st district, Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte |
| Contractor | Genesis 88 Construction Inc. |
| Probed value | P1.9 billion in DPWH flood control projects |
| Owner | Glenn Escandor, former presidential sports adviser |
| Agency | National Bureau of Investigation |
| Status | Ongoing; no irregularity concluded |
Pulong Duterte’s response
In a social media post, Duterte urged the NBI to examine whether the projects involved overpricing, ghost projects, substandard construction, kickbacks or theft of public funds rather than simply penalizing contractors who repeatedly win bids. He warned against “trial by publicity” before the investigation is complete, while saying those responsible should be held accountable if evidence of a crime exists.
Why Davao flood spending keeps resurfacing
The confirmation lands amid a widening run of flood control probes. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has called Davao the flood control “epicenter,” and similar scrutiny has this week touched ghost flood projects in Taguig and a separate plunder case against House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The NBI says the Davao review is meant both to clear the innocent and to build cases where corruption exists, and it will follow wherever the evidence leads.
