Manila: Prosecutors on Monday resumed their preliminary investigation into the Bulacan ghost control projects, with two high-profile personalities denying their involvements. Senator Joel Villanueva and former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who lost his reelection bid in May, appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila for cases involving the projects of WAWAO Builders and Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc. in Bulacan's First District. The projects were reported '100% completed' but were found to be either grossly deficient or completely non-existent.

According to Philippines News Agency, Revilla filed a counter-affidavit in December 2025 in similar charges involving another construction firm, SYMS Construction and Trading. DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez stated that the charges in the preliminary investigation include direct bribery, corruption of public officials, malversation through falsification, as well as violations of Republic Act Nos. 9184 or Government Procurement Act and 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

"As previously discussed, iba pa po 'to sa (this is different from the) original five cases involving SYMS Construction Trading. Those five cases have all already been referred to the Ombudsman, the records of which have all already been transmitted to said office," Martinez said in an interview. Detained former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and subordinates, Bryce Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, also attended the hearing resumption.

The engineers previously claimed that they delivered hundreds of millions of pesos in kickbacks for different projects to the lawmakers. Lawyer Ramon Esguerra, who represents Villanueva and is collaborative co-counsel for Revilla, insisted that "there is absolutely no proof whatsoever" that Villanueva and Revilla received money from flood control projects. Esguerra said the copy of the complaint furnished to them was incomplete.