Senator Win Gatchalian has raised serious concerns over the Commission on Audit’s (COA) failure to detect alleged fraud in several flood control projects, some of which were found to be either non-existent or grossly substandard.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, pointed to glaring anomalies in project timelines and documentation that he said should have triggered alarm bells at COA. Among the red flags he cited were a project reported as 89% complete just 15 days after the notice to proceed, and another marked 46% complete in only two days. One project was supposedly finished in just 34 days. He also noted the repeated use of similar photos to show progress across different stages of development.

“A tabletop review of the documents alone should have been enough to detect the fraud,” Gatchalian said, expressing dismay over COA’s oversight.

The senator also called for an investigation into the possible involvement of COA’s resident auditor assigned to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), suggesting that such irregularities could not have gone unnoticed without complicity.

“Hindi ako naniniwala na makakalampas ito sa COA kung hindi siya kasali sa modus,” Gatchalian said. “Ang gusto natin, maibalik ang tiwala sa COA.”

The call for accountability comes amid growing public scrutiny over infrastructure spending and the integrity of government auditing processes. Gatchalian emphasized that restoring trust in COA is essential to ensuring transparency and safeguarding public funds.