Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon is eyeing a House inquiry on the environmental impact of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, which has led to the creation of the controversial Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.

For this purpose, Ridon filed House Resolution (HR) No. 56, which urged the House Committee on Public Accounts and other appropriate committees to conduct a full probe, in aid of legislation.

Ridon's filing followed claims from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), through its Chairman Don Artes, that the dolomite beach project was a direct contributor to the persistent flooding in the city of Manila.

It reportedly causes the blockage of three major drainage outfalls—Faura, Remedios, and Estero de San Antonio Abad—forcing rainwater to be rerouted through a sewerage treatment plant incapable of handling flood volumes during heavy rains.

White-colored dolomite sand was used for the beach nourishment, coastal restoration, and enhancement of the Manila Baywalk area during the previous Duterte administration.

"To be clear, the dolomite project was never part of the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority)-approved Manila Bay Rehabilitation Master Plan. This was publicly admitted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during congressional budget deliberations in 2020," Ridon said in a statement.

"As such, it was never envisioned to protect Manila Bay’s coastal resources nor to prevent coastal flooding, erosion, or pollution. It is a cosmetic project masquerading as rehabilitation, and has now proven harmful to flood mitigation efforts in Manila," he noted.

"It is nothing but a criminal wastage of public funds—₱389 million that could have been far better spent on sewage treatment plants and other engineering interventions grounded in science and sustainability," Ridon further said.

The Bicol Saro solon said the congressional inquiry will determine criminal and administrative liability, and hold every government official directly involved in the origination, planning, and implementation of the artificial beach project accountable.

"This is a project that was not in the master plan. And it now stands as a culprit in worsening floods in the heart of the nation’s capital. On these grounds, graft charges are all but certain," Ridon, a lawyer, reckoned.

"And if, in the course of the inquiry, we find that the requirements for plunder are met, then so be it," he said.