President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s launch of the Sumbong sa Pangulo platform marks a transformative moment in the fight against corruption. In a nation too often numbed by scandal fatigue, the portal invites ordinary Filipinos to speak out and shed light on questionable government projects.

While this initiative is welcome, it is not enough. Any further action must now go beyond crowdsourcing reports—it must ensure that those responsible for the massive irregularities in the government’s flood control program are held fully accountable.

The numbers disclosed by the President on Monday, Aug. 11, are both staggering and alarming. It raises more questions. Since he assumed power, ₱545 billion has been allocated to flood control projects around the country. Yet over ₱350 billion worth of these projects—more than 60 percent—were found to have no clear specifications of what was repaired, built, or rehabilitated. Yet, they passed through what is supposed to be a stringent government process. These may not be mere oversights; they likely point to deliberate obfuscation.

Even more troubling is the revelation that only 15 contractors cornered 20 percent of these ₱545-billion flood control projects. This raises serious questions: Who facilitated these awards within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)? How did such vague and unjustifiable proposals pass through the agency’s standard bidding process?

More importantly, who in Congress lobbied for these projects to be included in the budget in the first place? Were these contractors handpicked by certain lawmakers in exchange for political donations or campaign support?

What Marcos has unearthed is not simply technical corruption—it is a systemic failure involving legislative pork, executive complicity, and private profiteering. The President must now move swiftly and with full transparency. The individuals behind these transactions—be they public officials, lawmakers, or private contractors—must be named and charged accordingly if evidence warrants. Investigations must be launched not just by the Executive branch, but with the full involvement of Congress, the Commission on Audit, and independent oversight bodies. The public deserves to know how a program meant to protect them from floods became a torrent of unaccounted funds.

The case of some of these contractors illustrates the murky ties between favored companies and political circles. Reports have linked some of these contractors to previous irregularities, tax evasion cases, and even canceled contracts. How many of these contractors contributed to electoral campaigns in the 2022 and 2025 elections? Are they poised to do so again in 2028?

Marcos has a unique opportunity to set a precedent as the national budget for 2026 is being prepared. Transparency must be institutionalized: all infrastructure projects must include itemized costs, geotagged evidence of implementation, and public disclosure of contractor identities. The DPWH’s bidding process needs a top-down overhaul, with digital audit trails and third-party oversight built into every stage.

The private sector, too, has a role to play. Business leaders should support audit reforms, invest in open-data platforms, and help build a culture of compliance and transparency.

Finally, Filipinos themselves must participate—not just through complaints, but through constant vigilance, our most potent weapon. Citizens must demand access to local project plans, question vague constructions, and reject token infrastructure that serves political gain over public good.

President Marcos has opened the door. The next step is to walk through it—and take the entire system with him. Accountability cannot be selective. If this administration is truly serious about rooting out corruption, it must enforce consequences even if they are close allies, and ensure that never again will billions flow through channels designed not to protect lives, but to enrich a few.