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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Banking & Finance devider Corruption and greed in the Philippines where sky is the limit

Corruption and greed in the Philippines where sky is the limit

Published Sep 27, 2025 12:01 am  |  Updated Sep 26, 2025 07:35 am
By now, any Filipino who doesn’t feel the disgust and rage over how these public officials and private contractors have seized the nation’s financial resources and lived lavishly at the expense of the unassuming Juan dela Cruz, must be out of their mind or complicit with these despicable persons.
Every hearing in the Senate and House of Representatives on the flood control issue has become the opening of Pandora’s box, exposing corrupt acts worth billions, and yes, possibly TRILLIONS of pesos, by these so-called “honorables.” And as usual, not a single one of those named would admit guilt; instead, they dismiss the accusations as a "political ploy." The annoying part is that despite the investigation, the overwhelming evidence of corruption, and the damaging statements from eyewitnesses whose testimonies are enough to secure convictions in regular trial courts, only one person—Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez of Bulacan—has been put behind bars. And his case? It wasn’t even about corruption. He was incarcerated merely for being cited in contempt by the Senate.
In the meantime, the supposed “big fish” in this large-scale corruption, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizalde “Zaldy” Co, has been busy traveling around the world. From an alleged medical check-up in the United States for his heart condition (former COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said it best: “bakit mag checheck-up, wala namang puso yun” (why get a check-up, he has no heart), he was then reported to be in Singapore, followed by Spain. Reports have now surfaced that the controversial congressman is in Paris, France. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez chose the novel way of facing the corruption accusation: SILENCE. Ironically, the former Speaker now does not want to speak, literally and figuratively.
In the Senate, it’s becoming a total mess. Witnesses have once again named the Napoles-era senators Jinggoy Estrada and former Senator Bong Revilla to be involved in the corruption of the flood control funds! Who would have thought that the charismatic and religious leader Senator Joel Villanueva, even the reserved former Senator Nancy Binay, and the boy-next-door former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero would be dragged into this mess? As a litigation lawyer for the past 16 years, I can somehow already determine the veracity and truthfulness of the witnesses’ statements. The testimonies presented in the Senate are solid, direct, complete, and can stand up in trial and under cross-examination. The usual “nagsisinungaling lang ang testigo, wala akong kinalaman diyan” (the witness is only lying, I have nothing to do with it) and other general denials can hardly overthrow that kind of statement in regular court proceedings.
Still, there is hope. I do believe newly-appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon can help recover the stolen funds and bring some positive light to his embattled agency. The newly-formed Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—tasked to investigate corruption and anomalies in infrastructure projects—started on the right footing by immediately freezing the accounts and assets of the personalities involved in this corruption in the Philippines, a scale so large it could possibly secure a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Trillion Peso March and other activities last September 21, 2025, are a welcome symbol that Filipinos are aware and are collectively protesting the corruption in the Philippines. Our group from Albay traveled more than 16 hours to attend the protest rally in EDSA, making our small voices a part of the clamor to end corruption now. When the corruption and greediness of our public officials and their cohorts become sky is the limit, it is our duty as Filipino citizens to bring them to hell.
In this time, silence is no longer an acceptable response.
Mga magnanakaw! Ikulong na yan!
Atty. Randy B. Blanza, CPA, is the Past National President of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). He is a co-founder of Albay Bar Association (ABA).

Related Tags

Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Flood control scandal Senate Blue Ribbon Committee
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