IT ISN’T ENOUGH for President Marcos Jr. to keep fuming about money (foregone/cancelled foreign and local loans, counterpart funding being continuously paid for such loans by current and future generations) being lost to corruption.
The oldest and most influential business group– the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.– recommends a follow through, which to ordinary folks like me, means exposing them (crooks) to the people– politicians, lawyers, judges, businessmen and contractors. Shame them and file appropriate charges against them so they get slapped with penalties (cash and jail terms).
In older civilizations, those that violated laws and traditions were shamed in public and punished by guillotine and stoning.
The President again fumed in a TV interview over the cancelled loans for infrastructure projects because of corruption and for which our grandchildren and their children will continue paying for in interest, penalties and other charges. He first swiped at such flagrant stealing with the cancellation of “most critical foreign-backed infrastructure projects, which he said is not just reckless but downright shameful.” He said the country did not just lose loans but also its reputation.
‘(The President) warned that lawmakers and contractors behind substandard or corrupt government projects will soon be blacklisted and held accountable—regardless of political ties. They know who they are.’
BUDGET INSERTIONS
The President was referring to nearly P1 trillion worth of insertions by senators and congressmen in the 2025 budget, most of which were funneled into flood control projects widely seen as hotbeds of corruption, Bilyonaryo reported.
The worst part is substandard or questionable projects sometimes get funded through unappropriated funds– money that hasn’t gone through proper budget approval and is often sourced through borrowings.
“Utang ‘yun. Nangungutang tayo para mangurakot itong mga ito. Sobra na ‘yun. Sobra na ‘yun,” Marcos said, adding that these projects weren’t just defunded but were repackaged as unappropriated meaning they will be financed through borrowing.
Marcos warned that lawmakers and contractors behind substandard or corrupt government projects will soon be blacklisted and held accountable—regardless of political ties. “They know who they are,” Marcos said, citing that some are notorious and have been at this game for long.
“Somebody has to answer for the suffering of our people,” Marcos said, hinting that an audit, not by DPWH but by the public would soon be done “so citizens can report anomalies in their communities.”
He said he already has some names of contractors whose works are visibly substandard. “We will put them on a blacklist to be barred from contracts with the government.”
ANOMALOUS PROMOTIONS AT DPWH
Senators meantime criticized the “anomalous” promotion at DPWH of officials responsible for the epic collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela that left taxpayers footing the P1.2 billion bill.
Senators Joseph Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta said the bridge was funded three times– first for the original construction, then for retrofitting worth P285 million and finally for additional repairs worth P400 million, only to collapse just weeks later in February.
“So tatlong beses pong gumasta ang pamahalaan… at bumagsak… Tatlong beses pong nasampal ang Pilipino,” Marcoleta said in his interpellation. Yet no one was held accountable, worse the DPWH officials involved were promoted, including three undersecretaries who were given more power and responsibilities.
They were: 1) Loreta Malaluan – Promoted from Region 2 Director to Assistant Secretary for Luzon. She recommended ₱233.5 million in retrofitting funds in 2021 and initiated epoxy crack repairs. In 2022, she formally requested reclassifying the project from a replacement to a retrofitting-strengthening effort due to persistent structural issues; 2) Mary Bueno – Elevated from Region 2 Director to Assistant Secretary for Visayas and Mindanao. She allegedly ignored early warnings of bridge failure flagged by Project Engineer Felipe Lingan;
3) Eugenio Pipo Jr. – Promoted from Asec to Undersecretary despite glaring red flags in construction. DPWH engineers flagged shifting columns and sheared boards as early as 2018. “His failure to halt the project or escalate the issue for re-evaluation allowed the risks to persist unaddressed,” said Estrada.
4) Ador Canlas – Promoted to Undersecretary for Technical Services. He approved the ₱285 million retrofitting plan on Dec. 19, 2023, and a revised version on May 22, 2024. “These approvals were crucial in authorizing the construction activities intended to stabilize the bridge,” Estrada noted.
5) Maria Catalina Cabral –As Undersecretary for Planning Service and Public-Private Partnership, she approved the ₱400 million retrofitting budget even though the bridge was still under warranty. “Ang halagang ito ay 50% ng original contract price ng tulay,” Estrada added.
BLESSINGS OF SUPERIORS
Estrada said these officials could not have acted alone and likely had the blessing of their superiors. The DPWH secretaries who served during the bridge’s construction include Rogelio Singson (2010–2016), Rafael Yabut, Mark Villar, Roger Mercado, and incumbent Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Estrada expressed deep frustration that no DPWH official was suspended or investigated, even after a Senate Blue Ribbon probe.
“Nakakadismaya… ay ang nakakabahalang kawalan ng malinaw na pananagutan mula sa mga taong responsable sa pagpapatupad ng proyektong ito,” Estrada said.
The senator blamed the tragedy on a flawed and unprecedented design that was approved without proper technical vetting.
“There is no known precedent for this exact structural configuration,” Estrada warned, questioning why it was approved without sufficient documentation.
He also noted that the project was awarded to R.D. Interior Junior Construction (RDIJC) even though none of the bidders had the required experience to build a complex steel bridge. To make matters worse, the government—not the contractor—paid for the ₱400 million retrofitting.
“Retrofitting or repair works due to the contractor’s mistake should be shouldered by R.D. Interior Junior Construction… That’s very basic,” Estrada said.
#PresidentMarcosfumes
#cancelledforeignloans
#mahiyakayo
#exposethecrooks
#DPWH
#defectivebridge
#Isabelabridgefundedthreetimes
#corruption
#anomalouspromotionsatDPWH
#ThePhInsider