(From left) Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Vico Sotto, Joy Belmonte and Sitti Hataman. – Photos from Galing Pook/QC government/city government by Isabela de Basilan/Facebook
Manila, Philippines – A group of mayors have asked the national government agencies, in particular the Ministry of Public Work and Automen (DPWH), to identify politicians and contractors behind defective and inferior flood control and infrastructure projects.
In an explanation on Saturday evening, the mayors said for a good government that they are firmly related to the Filipino people to request truth, obligation and judiciary with regard to the “massive allegations”, in particular the reported agreement between government officials and selection companies.
The declaration was signed by the mayor of Baguio City, Benjamin Magalong, who was one of the first to reveal the participation of some legislators of the house in poorly executed infrastructure and flood control projects.
Other signatories had the mayor of Pasig Pasig, Vico Sotto, the mayor of Quezon City, Joy Belmonte, and the mayor of Isabela City, Sitti Hataman.
It is expected that more mayors sign the statement because the group formed in 2023 supports more than 100 local managing directors.
“Project details”
“Flood control projects have existed for decades, but in recent years, corruption in these projects has become more alarming, omnipresent and systematic,” said the group.
“Those who have stolen public funds must be exposed to the full power of the law. Once proven to be guilty, politicians and bureaucrats not only have to be removed from office, but also persecuted and imprisoned,” added.
The mayors demanded that the DPWH and other affected agencies have an “immediate and complete disclosure of all project details: the working programs, detailed price analyzes, size invoice and feasibility studies and urgent names of contractors and politicians who are responsible for these peso projects financed by our tax players.”
Local managers have left out
“Transparency is no longer optional, but a duty that we owe to every Filipino,” they said. “Corruption must now end. The Filipino people deserve a government that protects and serves them, not one who endangers their lives and deprives them of their future.”
Some local managers last week complained that many flood protection projects were not coordinated with them in their areas. There were also no consultations with experts before the construction started.
Some projects were also implemented without the approval of the local government units, which made them incompatible with the local development plans.
Magalong said on Friday that he would think of Malacañang's proposal to submit the document to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Previously, he and Senator Panfilo Lacson claimed that 67 members of the House of Representatives had moonlight as a contractor and possibly involved in inferior or defective infrastructure projects.
'Notorious'
In his July 28th of the state of the state (Sona), the President ordered the investigation of all flood protection projects carried out under his administration and admitted that many of them could not protect the Filipinos from flooding that dived their communities for days.
During a post-sona podcast on August 4th, he said that he already had a list of the names of those behind the botched projects. But he did not identify them and just said: “You know who you are.”
“They are very notorious. They have been doing this for a long time,” added Marcos.
A week later, he showed a list of all 9,855 flood control projects carried out by the DPWH from July 2022 to May 2025.
The President said he found it “worrying” that 100 peseters or 20 percent of the total budget of 545 billion peseters were only awarded 15 out of 2,409 accredited contractors for these projects.
Marcos said the ongoing investigation would not save anyone.
“That may be a little painful. Some people near us may be involved in these anomalies. But even if they are close to us, the public is certainly much closer to our hearts, so we will put them in the first place,” he said.
inspection
On August 15, Marcos was visibly irritated by the crumbling concrete embankment on part of the Pampanga River when inspecting the recently rehabilitated dike in the constantly flooded city of Calumpit, Bulacan and named the work as “irregular and sloppy”.
He demanded answers from Project Contractor St. Timothy Construction Corp., one of the 15 contractors on his list.
Based on data, the P96.4 million project was only completed in February 2023.
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“St. Timothy is the contractor here, so we will look at it. We have to hold them accountable and ask why they did it that way,” said Marcos. /CB