PBBM won’t spare anyone in anomalous flood control projects

FLOOD CONTROL. The Department of Public Works and Highways continues to conduct declogging of drainage systems, like along Timog Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday (Aug. 5, 2025). The National Capital Region’s biggest city in terms of population, Quezon City was also among the areas most affected by flooding caused by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and a series of typhoons in July. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will spare no one in the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects in the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos administration will ensure that sanctions will be meted out to contractors or even anyone close to him found involved in irregularities in flood mitigation projects.

“Kahit malapit sa puso, kahit kaibigan, wala pong sisinuhin ang Pangulo. Mananagot ang dapat managot (Even if it’s close to the heart, even if it’s a friend, the President will not spare anyone. Those who should be held accountable will be held accountable),” Castro said.

Castro said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will not be part of the investigating body, stressing that the agency’s role in the ongoing investigation is limited to providing information on the flood control projects.

Despite the alarming patterns in the awarding of flood control projects, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of Marcos, Castro said.

In a press conference on Monday, Marcos revealed that 15 contractors secured nearly 20 percent of the total PHP545.64 billion allocation for the government’s flood control program.

Marcos also noted inconsistencies in the top 10 provinces with the most flood control projects, saying some of them are not flood-prone areas.

According to the DPWH’s initial report, around 6,021 of the 9,855 flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025 have a project of more than PHP350 billion without specific details on the type of structures being built, repaired, or rehabilitated.

Castro clarified that the 15 contracts will not be blacklisted, pending the results of the investigation.

“Hindi pa po. Sinabi lang po, iyan na lang po ‘yung mga paunang impormasyon na ito, ‘yung medyo madaming mga projects na nakuha mula sa gobyerno. So, titingnan po natin. Ang sabi naman po ng Pangulo, ang mga ni-report, hindi naman ibig sabihin lahat iyan ay ma-anomalya. Mayroon naman na magaganda na naging resulta na ginawa ng mga contractor na ito (It hasn’t been said yet, that’s just the initial information, the relatively large number of projects that have been obtained from the government. So, we’ll look at it. The President said that the reports don’t mean that all of them are anomalies. There are some good results that these contractors have produced),” she said.

“So, iyan po ang sisimulang imbestigahan kung—unang-una po ang magiging basehan po nito ay kung existing ba iyong project, pangalawa, operational ba, pangatlo, kung effective. So, ‘yun ‘yung titingnan (that’s what we’ll start investigating if—first of all, the basis for this will be whether the project exists, secondly, is it operational, thirdly, if it’s effective. So, that’s what we’ll look at),” Castro added.

Castro also noted that in the coming days, there will be an inspection of more areas with ongoing flood control projects.

She said the government will also be stricter in entering into new contracts for flood control projects.

“Kahit anupaman ang gamiting pangalan ng inyong kumpanya, ang inyong trabaho ang susuriin at sa trabaho rin ninyo makikita kung may anomalya (No matter what name your company uses, your work will be scrutinized and you will also see if there is an anomaly in your work),” Castro said.

“Maging mapanuri, mga dating na-blacklist, nag-iba lang ng pangalan at ngayon ay mukhang nakakapag-transact pa muli sa gobyerno. Mahiya naman kayo (Be cautious, those who were previously blacklisted, just changed their names and now seem to be able to transact with the government again. Be ashamed of yourselves),” she added.