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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'May resibo tayo': Villanueva insists he has no flood control projects; denies assistant district engineer's allegations

'May resibo tayo': Villanueva insists he has no flood control projects; denies assistant district engineer's allegations

Published Sep 9, 2025 04:30 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Joel Villanueva reiterated this in a privilege speech, a few hours after the House of Representatives conducted its own public hearing on the anomalous flood control projects.

Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, September 9 reiterated he has no flood control projects, denying a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assistant district engineer’s accusation he had a P600-million worth of this under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Villanueva reiterated this in a privilege speech, a few hours after the House of Representatives conducted its own public hearing on the anomalous flood control projects. 

“Today, they again attempted to drag my name in these flood control projects in my province of Bulacan. I repeat, Mr. President, I don’t have any flood control projects,” Villanueva said in Filipino. 

“I will not say that I categorically deny this accusation because I have receipts.  Somebody can verify on how this happened,” the senator reiterated.

Villanueva said he has long questioned the government’s flood control projects and the flood control issues hounding the country.

“Mr. President, we speak about this repeatedly in the Senate, where is the P1.4-billion budget of the government for flood control?” he pointed out.

“Earlier at the House, they said that Joel Villanueva had a program in the same year, but they can’t verify anything, there’s no evidence. There’s no receipt. But they continue raising questions about it,” he lamented. 

“…’If you can’t convince them, confuse them. Even Mayor Vico Sotto said that,” he pointed out.

Villanueva, however, expressed belief the one behind the “demolition” job against senators is no other than the “Dracula” who is in charge of the “national blood bank” and the one who failed to railroad a People’s Initiative and change the 1987 Constitution. 

“Everything is scripted; even without evidence, just cite them in contempt. Even without evidence, nail them on the cross,” he said.

“Mr. President, we’re not afraid of these kind of demolition job. We are ready to have our name tarnished, to be insulted or criticized if this would mean saving our people and putting an end to this unli-flood,” he pointed out.

“I repeat, Mr. President. I’m not just categorically denying the allegations hurled at me. We have receipts. It’s easily verifiable. We are more than willing to undergo and join any investigation because we are not hiding anything,” Villanueva said. 

At a House hearing earlier, DPWH assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez named Villanueva as one of the senators who are allegedly involved in questionable flood control infrastructure projects, downloading P600-million for flood control projects in Bulacan. 

Related Tags

Joel Villanueva DPWH flood control probe
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