Are we watching yet another high-profile investigation that teeters on the edge of collapse—not for lack of evidence, but for the insidious undermining of truth itself?

Billions of pesos have allegedly been siphoned off under the guise of public service through the scandalous flood control projects, which are supposed to shield our communities from devastation. Instead, these worthy undertakings have become a symbol of the moral flooding within our institutions. Yet, as the investigations unfold, it is not just the culprits who stand accused—but also those tasked with uncovering the truth.

What should have been a path to justice has turned into a circus of mudslinging, thinly veiled power plays, and to some extent witness coaching. Whistleblowers, whose courage should have been protected and honored, are instead subjected to character assassinations and subtle manipulations instead of allowing them a free-flowing testimony. Others are discredited before they can even speak. And when testimonies are tampered with—whether by coercion, threats, or inducement—the entire process collapses under the weight of its own compromised integrity.

This is a betrayal of public trust.

Lawmakers and public officials must remember: The power they wield is not theirs alone. It is borrowed from the people. Every seat in Congress, every badge of authority, every robe of judgment are not ornaments of prestige; they are tools of service. To use these to protect the powerful or silence the truthful is to weaponize democracy against itself.

Let’s be clear. Witnesses must be protected and allowed to freely tell what they know. Testimonies must be preserved in their raw, unfettered form. As the Supreme Court has ruled in several instances, “a testimony is credible if it bears the earmarks of truth and sincerity and has been delivered in a spontaneous, natural, and straightforward manner.” Therefore, every misstep, every coached line, every laughable excuse for “oversight” adds to the growing cynicism of a weary citizenry.

Yet we cannot leave the fight to the halls of power alone. The public, too, must act—not with rage, but with resolve. Citizens must demand transparency at every stage of the investigation. Civil society organizations, watchdog groups, and ordinary citizens alike must work hand-in-hand to document, report, and pressure institutions into action. Public pressure must be relentless, because silence breeds complicity.

But beyond civic engagement, institutional reform is non-negotiable. The executive branch must commit unequivocally to non-interference. It must provide resources for impartial investigations and security for those brave enough to speak up. The legislative branch, meanwhile, must purge itself of conflicted interests. Lawmakers who are themselves suspects or who are closely allied with potential perpetrators must recuse themselves, or risk further eroding credibility. Congressional hearings must prioritize facts, not political theater and not a venue to build political stock.

And the judiciary—our final bastion of hope—must act swiftly and impartially. If prosecutors and judges succumb to political pressure, then no amount of whistleblowing will make a difference.

Justice delayed is justice denied—but justice corrupted is justice obliterated.

If this investigation is to mean anything, if the flood control scandal is to lead to real accountability, then we must first ensure the purity of the process. No more interference with whistleblowers. No more protected parties—especially the powerful elite, the high and the mighty. No more legislative grandstanding. The truth must be allowed to rise and find its own course—unfiltered, unafraid, and undistorted.

The country deserves the full, untarnished truth. Let us not trade it for political expediency or the comfort of silence. If we are to rebuild the broken levees of public trust, we must first stop tarnishing the truth.