House vows impartial probe into flood control fund misuse

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

CONGRESSMEN on Tuesday said the House of Representatives would spare no one in its investigation of alleged irregularities in government flood control projects, vowing there would be “no sacred cows.”

The chamber will conduct a “full, transparent and impartial” inquiry into substandard and questionable projects, Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo P. Ortega V said in a statement.

“Every peso we lose to corruption is a life left at risk when floods hit,” he said. “This investigation is not about politics; it’s about justice.”

The probe comes amid President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s campaign against corruption in flood control works, which critics say has allowed collusion between contractors and officials to thrive.

Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said he does not tolerate corruption. “That’s why I’m filing all the charges against anybody who is involved [with] ghost projects that had been discovered by the President,” he told reporters.

Last week, lawmakers adopted House Resolution No. 145, authorizing the committees on public accounts, public works and good government to jointly examine infrastructure projects allegedly tainted with corruption.

The government has allotted about P1.47 trillion for flood control projects from 2009 to 2024, according to Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV.

The House will begin hearings next week, Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon, who heads the public accounts committee, told ����ý in a Viber message. The committees are expected to scrutinize projects awarded to undercapitalized contractors, as well as unfinished, substandard or nonexistent structures.

“This is not a witch hunt,” Deputy Speaker and Zambales Rep. Jefferson F. Khonghun said in the same statement. “It’s not a show either. Those who were entrusted with the people’s money — whether in government or the private sector — must explain.”

Mr. Ortega said the investigation aims to produce reforms such as stronger procurement safeguards, digital tracking systems and real-time transparency tools to prevent fund misuse.

In a separate statement, Senator Mark A. Villar raised concerns that some contractors might have bypassed oversight by submitting falsified geotagged photographs to claim government payments for supposed progress.

“No contractor should have been able to collect from the government on the basis of deception,” he said.

Mr. Villar, who served as Public Works secretary before being elector senator, said he required contractors to provide geotagged pictures of ongoing projects as a safeguard.

“The whole purpose of mandatory geotagging was to make sure the government and the public could verify that work was actually being done where and when it was supposed to be,” he said.

“If contractors have found ways to cheat the system, that is an abuse of public trust, and it must be investigated thoroughly,” he added.