Ping: P1T for flood control likely lost due to graft
Amid the impact of the recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon (“habagat”), Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday renewed his call for a review of the government’s flood-control projects, saying almost half of almost P2 trillion allocated for that program since 2011 may have been lost to corruption.
“Isn’t it absurd that the rise of floodwaters in our country is directly proportional to the increase in the annual budget for the national government’s flood management program? For 15 years since 2011, the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) is supposed to have spent almost 2 trillion pesos. And yet,” he said in an interview with radio dzBB.
“Climate change has been tagged as a factor in the flooding problem but it has become a convenient excuse for some. We need to see where we can improve in terms of preparation, planning and implementation,” Lacson said. “We also cannot discount that of the P2 trillion in allocations, P1 trillion may have ended up in some people’s pockets.”
Further doing the math, Lacson said “Two trillion pesos means an average daily expense of almost P350 million for the past 15 years. A midsize cutter suction dredger costs anywhere from $1.5 million to $8 million.”
“At $5 million or P285 million with the current peso-dollar exchange rate, we can actually buy one dredging machine every day and use part of the excess of P65 million for operating expenses and maintenance,” he added.
Sona, budget deliberations
Lacson said he expects President Marcos to take up the flooding problem, along with peace and order, in his State of the Nation Address on Monday. Meanwhile he said he would take up the issue of flood control during budget deliberations.
“I will tackle this issue in a privilege speech, or for sure in a budget deliberation once the budget of DPWH is discussed, or even in DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee), the general principles. I can take up what is our policy in flood management? What happened to us? So much funds are wasted,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Sen. Bam Aquino called for a Senate inquiry into the flood-control projects.
Lacson said the figures he cited did not include yet the flood-control budget for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
“So imagine there is such a huge funding for flood control over the years. During the time of [the late] President [Noynoy] Aquino, the flood control fund was around P11 billion, [then] P10 billion in 2012… In 2018 it became nine 9 figures already, around P100 billion,” he said.
2025 budget
“Starting 2023, 2024, 2025, it’s already P300 billion—P280 billion in 2023, P349 billion in 2024, P346 billion in 2025… This is a paradox, irony. With bigger funding, shouldn’t flood levels be going down? Why is the rise in funding directly proportional to the rise in floodwater levels?”
Lacson, who earned a reputation as an eagle-eyed auditor of the national budget, also bared earlier inequitable and distorted allocation of funds for flood-control projects in some areas in the 2025 budget—including a small barangay in Oriental Mindoro that received P1.9 billion and a small town in the same province that received P10 billion.
He said he would grill the concerned officials regarding the flood-control projects.
“The scrutiny of public funds, including confidential and intelligence funds, must continue. Even if the amount being questioned is just P10, it is still public funds,” Lacson said.
Affected families: 1.5M
Much of Luzon, including Metro Manila, continued to experience heavy rains on Sunday due to the habagat, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. (See related story in Regions, Page A9.)
Reported deaths from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and Tropical Storms “Crising,” “Dante” and “Emong” rose to 30, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its Sunday update.
Of the latest death toll, 13 have been confirmed by the agency—nine in the National Capital Region, two in Region 3, one in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) and one in Caraga.
Still undergoing validation are reports of 17 which are as follow: six for Region 6 (Western Visayas), four for Calabarzon, three for the Negros Island Region, two for Northern Mindanao, one for Mimaropa, and another one for Region 11 (Davao Region).
Affected families are now at 1,536,381, equivalent to 5,573,336 persons residing in 6,053 barangays in 17 regions.
The NDRRMC said 51,681 families are being aided in 1,689 evacuation centers and another 34,296 families in other relief areas. —WITH REPORTS FROM PNA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
