Independent body sought for flood control probe

MANILA, Philippines — An independent commission should be organized to investigate anomalous flood control projects, aside from conducting lifestyle checks on officials suspected of involvement in graft-tainted contracts, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said yesterday.

“We support the creation by law of an independent investigative body that will look into these trillion pesos worth of corrupt flood control projects,” Pangilinan said.

He said he supports the move first proposed by Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III for the creation of an “Independent People’s Commission.”

Pangilinan suggested that the commission be led by former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Rogelio Singson and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

He also voiced support for President Marcos’ call for a lifestyle check on officials involved in project implementation.

“Let it spread in the social media,” he said in Filipino, referring to outcomes of such lifestyle checks. “They’re so brazen. Instead of inspiring, they make people throw up – the display of plundered wealth.”

Pangilinan also questioned Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s refusal to resign despite the controversy.

“Trillions of pesos worth of ghost flood control projects, and yet the secretary hasn’t yet resigned? Trillions in pesos plundered, and you didn’t see it. It’s either you’d been had or you’re involved,” Pangilinan said, referring to Bonoan.

For her part, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she is willing to be the first senator to undergo a lifestyle check, but she hoped the five-member minority bloc would join her.

“We in the government are required by law to live simple lives. So I guess, the directive of the President is not against the law,” she said in Filipino at the Kapihan sa Senado forum yesterday.

She said a lifestyle check can result in an “environment of transparency.”

Hontiveros is also urging President Marcos to take the lead and release to the public his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) as well as those of the members of his family.

Sen. Bam Aquino for his part vowed to scrutinize the P243-billion flood control budget in the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget next year under the National Expenditure Program.

“The P243 billion in the 2026 budget for flood control, I’m guessing mababawasan. That will be slashed significantly. I’m hoping some of that will go to education and maybe some of that will go to health care,” Aquino said.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano meanwhile flagged the DPWH’s Engineering and Administrative Overhead (EAO) fund, which he said ballooned to P94 billion from 2022 to 2025.

Cayetano said the amount, averaging P20 billion a year, could already cover the P55-billion shortfall needed to reach the four percent of Gross Domestic Product target for education spending.

The EAO is a percentage deducted from DPWH projects worth over P1 million to cover costs for testing, quality control, project management and pre-construction activities, according to Cayetano.

Cayetano lamented that the fund failed to ensure the integrity of the flood control projects, many of which end up either substandard or non-existent.

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, Dep- uty Speaker Ronnie Puno filed House Resolution 201 seeking to determine the “funders or sponsors” of anomalous and fictitious c struction projects in the 2025 national budget, as well as the role of the Department of Budget and Management in the release and withhold- ing of funds.

Bonoan, for his part, has ordered the creation of an Anti-Graft and Corrupt Prac- tices Committee in his de- partment. –Delon Porcalla, Rainier Allan Ronda