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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider QC, Metro floods betray extent of DPWH corruption--Makabayan

QC, Metro floods betray extent of DPWH corruption--Makabayan

Published Aug 31, 2025 02:21 pm

At A Glance

  • The massive floods in Metro Manila Saturday, Aug. 30--particularly in Quezon City--have exposed the extent of corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as far as flood control projects in the capital region is concerned.
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


The massive floods in Metro Manila Saturday, Aug. 30--particularly in Quezon City--have exposed the extent of corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as far as flood control projects in the capital region is concerned.
Thus, said Makabayan bloc solons ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co in a statement Sunday, Aug. 31.
Although they expressed outrage over the "disastrous" floodings, they are no longer surprised by it.
"This recurring nightmare is a damning indictment of decades of corruption and the systematic plunder of public funds meant for genuine flood control solutions," the militant solons said in a joint statement.
Echoing the growing frustration of the general public, the militant congressmen said flood control projects no longer serve their purpose and are now more like a money-making venture.
"The shocking revelations by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte provide concrete evidence of what we have long suspected: Ang mga flood control projects ay ginagawang ATM ng mga corrupt na opisyal at contractors (Flood control projects have been turned into a virtual automated teller machine by corrupt officials and contractors)," they said.
They said that out of 254 DPWH flood control projects worth P14.24 billion in Quezon City alone, only two were properly approved by the local government. This pattern of anomalous projects undoubtedly extends across the entire Metro Manila region.
"Saan napunta ang bilyun-bilyong piso na inilaan para sa flood control projects?Lumubog din ba sa baha tulad ng Elliptical Road, Katipunan at Mother Ignacia? (Where did the billions worth of flood control funds go? Did it get submerged under floodwared like Elliptical Road, Katipunan and Mother Ignacia?)" asked Tinio, a deputy minority leader.
"While our people suffer and lose their livelihoods to these predictable floods, corrupt officials and their contractor-cronies have enriched themselves through overpriced, substandard, and often non-existent infrastructure projects," he said.
The fact that only 138 out of 1,652 DPWH projects in Quezon City have proper certificates of coordination betrays the agency's brazen disregard for legal requirements and proper coordination. Many projects marked as "complete" were found to be still ongoing, while others have "uncertain project sites"--clear indicators of "ghost" projects and fraudulent documentation.
"Hindi dapat maging normal ang pagbaha tuwing umuulan (Floods shouldn't be a normal occurence during rains)," underscored Co, an assistant minority leader.
"The recurring floods in Metro Manila are not acts of God—they are the predictable consequences of a system that prioritizes profit over people's welfare, where billions meant for flood control end up in the pockets of corrupt contractors like Triple 8 Construction, EGB Construction Corp., and their cohorts," she said.
"Tama na ang pagkunsinti sa mga corrupt na opisyal! (Let's stop tolerating corrupt officials!) We demand immediate and thorough investigations into all DPWH flood control projects implemented across Metro Manila. The identified contractors and DPWH officials responsible for these anomalous projects must face criminal prosecution for graft and corruption," the Makabayan solons said.
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