It's not enough to only discover how much public funds have been stolen, the unfinished and substandard projects must also be redone and completed, President Marcos said.

And the reimplementation of those projects will no longer be paid for by the government, Marcos said as he insisted that it should be shouldered by the contractors and their conspirators.

In a press conference in Malacañan on Monday, Sept. 15,  the President has once again lashed out at the massive flood control anomalies and the extent of corruption that came with it.

"Magkano ang ninakaw na pera ng mga balasubas na ito (How much money did these crooks steal)?  That is what we need to know, that is what we need to fix," he said.

He said that the response to this mess should not stop on the investigation of Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the filing of cases, they should compel the contractors to finish the job.

"One of the things that we are looking at dahil iniisip ko: kakasuhan natin sila, then, okay the cases will go on, may mga mananagot, mayroon diyang makukulong, mayroon diyang mapa-fire, whatever (One of the things that we are looking at, because I’m thinking: we will file charges against them, then, okay, the cases will proceed, some will be held accountable, some will be imprisoned, some will be fired, whatever)," he said.

"Para sa akin kailangang buuin nila iyong project dahil kung titingnan ninyo, may warranty lahat iyang project na iyan. Kahit sinabi nilang completed, kapag nadiskubre na hindi tama ang pagkagawa (For me, they need to complete the project because if you look at it, all those projects have warranties. Even if they say it’s completed, once it is discovered that the work was not done properly) they still have to respect, they still have to honor the warranty that they have given us to complete the project properly)," he added.

"So, we can still go back to them at sasabihin natin sa kanila, ‘balikan ninyo iyong walang kwentang project na ginawa ninyo at ayusin ninyo na maganda, out of your own pocket (and tell them, ‘go back to that worthless project you did and fix it properly, out of your own pocket)’,” the President stressed.

One of the steps Marcos wants to revive in order to ensure that flood control projects are indeed up to standards and planning is the safeguard that the local government units (LGUs) give.

Marcos said he was surprised to find out that the turnover of projects to the mayors was no longer being practiced since the last administration. He said he wants it back as it gives an additional safeguard to the projects.

So, he directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to bring the "acceptance" back.

"I have instructed the DPWH, and for that matter all of the departments to return that – tinanggal in the last administration iyan, e iyong acceptance. Maalala ko noong governor ako, walang puwedeng sabihing completed kung hindi accepted ng local government (That was removed in the last administration — the acceptance. I remember when I was governor, nothing could be declared completed unless it was accepted by the local government)," he said.

"Ibabalik natin iyon – tinanggal nila (We will bring it back, it was removed) in the last administration, we are putting it back because that is one of the best safeguards that we have. So, that is essentially the situation as it stands. We are trying to move as quickly as possible," he added.

Marcos also discouraged mixing the independent investigation with politics, pointing out that the focus is simply on the numbers.

"But that is not the problem. That is not where the problem lies. The problem lies in the actual implementation of the projects. That is what we are investigating," he said.

"That is what we wanted to do, remove it from politics, don’t politicize this. It’s simple numbers dito," he added.

He pointed this out when asked if he was aware that the billions of flood control funds concentrated in the ruling parties. He said it has been the case in every single legislative body.

"The problem here is not the amount. The problem here is the use of those funds. Kahit naman sa kanila napunta lahat, kung maganda ang patakbo, di walang problema. Kung iyang flood control, napakaganda; kung iyong lahat ng project, napakaganda; iyong dredging, perfect, di ano ang problema? Walang problema (Even if everything went to them, if the management was good, then there would be no problem. If that flood control was excellent; if all the projects were excellent; if the dredging was perfect, then what would be the problem? There would be no problem)!" Marcos stressed.

He also reiterated that no one will be spared in the investigation, including his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and former house appropriation Chair Zaldy Co, who were blamed as among the culprits behind the flood control schemes.

"Well, there’s only one way to do it – they will not be spared," he said, stressing that no one will believe that he is not favoring anyone until he actually spares no one.

"Wala namang maniniwala sa iyo hangga’t gawin mo e, so gagawin namin (No one will believe you until you actually do it, so we will do it)," he vowed.