THE MORE I read about the flood control projects mess, the messier and murkier they get. Practically every government institution dipped into those bogus, substandard, incomplete and ghost flood control projects and their funds (which ballooned because of budget insertions) that the exercise of investigating or appearances to probe them leads to all directions— Malacañang, Senate, Congress, the police, local government officials, favored contractors, and many more.
The ultimate losers: us, TAXPAYERS, whose dutiful compliance to paying or declaring the right taxes and giving money to the government for all the goods and services we buy (through VAT) are being diverted to private pockets of our own leaders every minute each day. Mind you, they all have the temerity to feign innocence over these obscene wrongdoings.
Supposed investigations by the legislative and executive branches of government and the personal inspections of anomalous flood control projects by the President are now being seen as senseless exercises as the people’s anticipated outcome– charging in court, fining and jailing those involved (public officials and contractors) would never materialize.
Everything is a grand zarzuela!
ENDLESS BLAME GAME
Just last Wednesday, Bicol Saro claimed that the two substandard flood control projects in Bulacan, that was inspected by President Marcos recently, were part of the 2022 and 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by Malacañang to Congress, reported Politiko.
This was revealed by House Committee on Public Accounts chairperson and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who provided the media a copy of the 2022 and 2023 NEP and the 2022 and 2023 General Appropriations Act.
The project, Rehabilitation of River Protection Structure along Bulusan, Calumpit, was allocated by the Duterte administration P100 million in 2022 and was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and awarded to St. Timothy Construction Corp. (who is in the President’s notoriety list) for P96.4 million.
Though it was in the 2022 national budget, the project was completed on February 2, 2023, during the Marcos administration.
Another project, the construction of flood mitigation structures along Barangay Frances, Calumpit, Bulacan, was proposed and allocated P80 million in 2023. Wawao Builders got the contract for P77.19 million. The 2023 budget was crafted and implemented by the Marcos administration.
In Leyte, meantime, Matag-ob Mayor Bernie Tacoy, lamented the failed month-old flood control project, constructed with the knowledge of Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez, that was damaged by the low pressure area-induced rains and “threatening homes and livelihoods.
The municipality faces perennial flooding even with an LPA, not even a typhoon. “The month-old flood control project was supposed to protect but failed at the first sign of flood,” he lamented, as he asked for assistance from the national government and the Department of Public Works and Highways.
He said Gomez gives them only limited support and they continue to persevere through discipline and resilience. He said he only saw in Facebook live the groundbreaking of the project, which apparently was done without permission and coordination with the LGU.
“Groundbreaking na wala ang municipal officer, wala ang engineering dept, na-bypass ang LGU ng DPWH sa project sa distrito, walang coordination sa LGU line agencies,” Rappler reported.
“It is high time that the ongoing flood control projects in our district were brought to light. I call on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for complete transparency and accountability. The public must be told: Who are the contractors of these projects?,” he said as he demanded a clear timeline for completion, updates on the current status, the total funds allocated, and exactly how much has been spent.
“Transparency is non-negotiable. Accountability is the people’s right. Public service means loyalty to the people, not to any politician. For the people of Matag-ob, for the town I love, we demand the truth,” said Mayor Tacoy.
Gomez said the project was still under construction when it was damaged by the rains and will be repaired “at no cost to the government.”
Stories of defective flood control projects are frequently reported, highlighting issues like budget inflation, nonexistent projects, and collapsing infrastructure, often linked to collusion between officials and contractors. Recent examples include massive budget overruns for the Candaba flood control and Bauang River Basin projects, where funding surged significantly without proper results, and nonexistent projects were funded in Oriental Mindoro.
DEFECTIVE PROJECTS
Examples of defective projects include the Candaba Flood Control, which cost soared from P20 million to P274 million due to repeated, unnecessary repairs awarded to the same contractors; the Bauang (La Union) River Basin with an allocation that surged from P100 million to P1.6 billion through insertions in the final budget; Oriental Mindoro Flood Control from nearly P19 billion funds over three years yet some completed dikes collapsed after rains and a P193 million project was found to be non-existent; a ghost project in Bulacan which Sen. Panfilo Lacson identified at 30 in all with funds released but no actual construction took place.
The common causes/patterns of these irregularities are: 1) budget overruns and inflation where projects frequently exceed initial costs from repeated repairs and inflated allocations; 2) collusion between contractors, local officials and internal factions within DPWH; 3) ghost projects where funds are allocated and released but are never built indicating a deep-seated corruption, and 4) poor quality and collapse of projects built on substandard quality leading to infrastructures like dikes collapsing shortly after completion.
The consequences of such anomalies are: a) wasted public funds; b) continued flooding, and c) erosion of public trust.
DE LIMA’S CALL
To prevent conflict of interest, Mamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila De Lima has called for an independent body (not the house, senate or the executive) to look into corruption in flood control projects. The House just created three committees to conduct a joint probe of projects earlier flagged by the President. Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House Committee on Good Government, agrees with De Lima.
She said the independent probe body must consist of people with probity, competence, integrity to be fair and objective. She hinted at a former jurist with known competence, integrity and probity and exposure to how government projects are undertaken. It could include former Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza and former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson.
It must also have experts including an engineer, businessman with expertise in government projects but not involved in any corruption case. The body should be backed by an inter-agency committee with members from the National Prosecution Service, NBI, PNP, DPWH and other relevant government agencies. It could be created by an EO or a law that the president would certify as urgent.
LIFESTYLE CHECKS
People have reservations of lifestyle checks as they usually dwell only on the SALNs (statement of assets, liabilities and networth) of a state employee or official but no actual check on deposits, properties and others. Also most of these checks are confined to low-salaried personnel up to below middle managers. People want the lifestyle check to go all the way to the top– up to the President, Vice President, the legislators, the judges and justices and GOCCs, all agencies and armed service. No one must be spared, otherwise this would just be another moro moro or a farce.
As Vice President Sara Duterte said the checks must be a “deep dive” and go beyond SALNs and must apply to all appointed and elected officials. She also said the check must also extend to so-called dummies of those holding positions of power.