PBBM orders lifestyle check on gov’t officials amid flood works probe

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Lumabas na isang ghost project ang reinforced concrete river wall sa Purok 4, Brgy. Piel, Baliwag, Bulacan, matapos personal na inspeksyunin ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. kasunod ng report na ipinadala sa sumbongsapangulo.ph. (PCO Photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered a lifestyle check on all government officials as part of the administration’s widening investigation into anomalous flood control projects, Malacañang said Wednesday.

“Ipinag-utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang pagkakaroon ng lifestyle check sa lahat ng mga opisyal sa gitna ng imbestigasyon sa ma-anomalyang flood control projects (The President has ordered a lifestyle check on all government officials amid the investigation into anomalous flood control projects),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a media briefing.

Castro noted that the lifestyle check covers the entire executive department, beginning with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the agency directly handling the projects under scrutiny.

She added that Marcos also directed a continuing review of DPWH records.

“Kasabay nito, binigyang-diin ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang tuloy-tuloy na pag-check sa mga records ng DPWH kaugnay sa mga ma-anomalyang proyekto (Alongside this, the President emphasized the continuous checking of DPWH records related to anomalous projects),” Castro said.

According to the Palace official, the government probe seeks to identify those responsible for the projects that were supposed to help ease flooding but instead raised questions about the misuse of public funds.

“Ongoing din ang investigation ng pamahalaan upang matukoy ang mga nasa likod ng mga proyektong dapat sana ay makakatulong na solusyunan ang malawakang pagbaha sa bansa (The government’s investigation is ongoing to identify those behind projects that should have helped solve widespread flooding in the country),” she added.

Marcos has personally inspected 11 flood control projects in Marikina, Iloilo, Bulacan, and Benguet just days after receiving citizen complaints via the government’s Sumbong Sa Pangulo portal.

As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 9,020 reports related to questionable flood-control projects had been received through the platform.

The Palace renewed its call to the public to remain vigilant and report anomalies within their areas.