Clamor grows to have flood mess culprits jailed
More prominent voices have joined the growing clamor for an independent investigation of anomalous flood control projects that would result in the prosecution of those behind them.
This time, a coalition of civic, church, scientific and business groups came together to call for sweeping reforms to “make corruption shameful again” amid President Marcos’ ongoing crackdown.
“We have had enough,” they said in a joint statement published Saturday. “We need to escape this vicious cycle. We must reject the system of corruption that kills our fellow Filipinos and erodes our confidence in government.”
The statement was signed by over 150 individuals and groups, including Caloocan Bishop Pablo David, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, and several other universities, party list groups and civil society watchdogs.
5 demands
They join other influential groups who earlier made a similar call, including the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and a collective of 30 business groups that included the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.
Among the group’s five demands is for investigation and enforcement bodies to probe and file cases against everyone—both government and private parties—responsible for flagged projects.
They expressed fears that ongoing inquiries by the Senate and the House of Representatives would only lead to mere “witch-hunts of ‘small fish’ or ‘mid-level managers’ that end up maintaining systems of corruption,” with “very few ‘big fish’ and ‘masterminds’ convicted.”
“There must be people who would be held accountable,” the signatories said. “We call on the proposed independent commission and investigation and enforcement bodies to investigate and file cases not just against contractors and the [Department of Public Works and Highways], but legislators and auditors who were accountable for these flood control projects,” they said.
They also urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate the tax records of the Top 15 contractors of flood control projects under the Marcos administration and all suspicious financial transactions linked to them.
They added that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) must investigate politicians who received campaign contributions from contractors and for the Commission on Audit to expand its fraud audit beyond Bulacan province, where most of the alleged ghost projects appear to be located.
Independent ombudsman
Comelec Chair George Garcia previously said three of the 15 contractors named by Mr. Marcos donated to the campaigns of national candidates in the 2022 elections.
So far, only Senate President Francis Escudero has publicly admitted that he received P30 million for his senatorial campaign in 2022 from Lawrence Lubiano, president of top Sorsogon contractor Centerways Construction.
The group also challenged Mr. Marcos to appoint a truly independent ombudsman that would “fearlessly file cases, and lift the secrecy” on politicians’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), which were kept from the public by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
The signatories—some of whom are currently accredited as observers for the 2025 budget deliberations—also demanded more transparency measures to help crack down on corruption.
The signatories—some of whom are currently accredited as observers for the 2025 budget deliberations—also demanded more transparency measures to help crack down on corruption.
Independent review
They urged the DPWH and the Securities and Exchange Commission to make certain documents free to the public: the program of works, bill of quantities, detailed unit price analysis, as well as the general information sheets and articles of incorporation for contractors.
The group also called on the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management to convene an independent review of all current projects and resubmit proposals, noting that they had “very little confidence that the DPWH’s proposed budget for flood control is backed by proper science” or that projects were properly coordinated with local governments.
Mr. Marcos has earlier ordered a “sweeping review” of the DPWH’s P881.7-billion proposed 2026 budget.
“These must be based not on antiquated flood control principles with near-exclusive focus on cement, but instead emphasize flood management principles and nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and watershed restoration,” they said.
Finally, the group demanded that an independent commission investigating the anomalies be composed of members of “unimpeachable competence and integrity” like flood management scientists and hydrologists, local community groups and people’s organizations most affected by flood risks and the climate crisis.
‘Shameful’
“We must make corruption shameful again. We must punish corruption again. We must all work together to root out this system of corruption that kills,” they said.
“We must replace it with a system of transparency, accountability, and people’s participation that empowers us to demand better and to ensure this never happens again,” they added.
