Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Monday, Aug. 10, said his office is looking into some ₱60 billion poured into flood control projects in Cebu over the past six years as flooding continues to hit the province despite the massive government spending.

“We looked at the projects of flood control here in Cebu. And from our understanding, for the past six years, ₱60 billion has been poured into Cebu,” Remulla said during a press briefing in Cebu.

“And that should be a lot of money to control the flooding. But apparently, the past month, flooding happened again here in Cebu,” he added.

With billions already spent, Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) wants to determine what went wrong with the flood-control projects and whether corruption played a role.

“So, we have to look at what’s happening. Is it the design? Is it the execution? Or is it just corruption?” he said.

“Titingnan natin (We will look into it), and we find out, and we will know,” he added.

According to the Ombudsman, the review of flood-control projects was among the reasons for his visit to Cebu.

“Kaya ang bisita rito talaga is really to be able to ascertain many things, and one them is actually flood control (That is why the visit here is really to be able to ascertain many things, and one of them is actually flood control),” he said.

Remulla noted that Cebu’s 7th District accounted for the biggest share at 25 percent, while another 25 percent went to a leading contractor.

“And most of it or 25 percent, the bulk of it, went to Seventh District, and the 25 percent of it also went to a leading contractor,” he said.

The Ombudsman did not provide the full name of the leading contractor.

The Ombudsman also raised concerns over the bidding process at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), saying what he described as the “grand design of corruption” in the agency had become apparent.

“And, of course, the grand design of corruption at the DPWH became apparent—wala talagang bidding na (there was really no bidding anymore),” Remulla said.

Amid concerns over government procurement, Remulla pushed for the use of digital tools to make bidding processes more transparent and accessible to the public.

“Kaya, isa ‘yan sa sinuggest ko rito sa ating mga tao rito, is that, we lobby for digital tools through the law na lahat talaga [ay] transparent na (That is why one of the things I suggested to our people here is that we lobby for digital tools through the law so that everything will really be transparent),” he said.

“Ang bidding from the barangay up to the Executive Department, dapat diyan digital na. Dapat may digital billboard for everybody to know and to see, and to investigate (Bidding from the barangay up to the Executive Department should be digital. There should be a digital billboard for everybody to know and to see, and to investigate),” he added.

Remulla said requiring government transactions to be digitally recorded would help strengthen transparency.

“It should be a duty for people to record everything digitally so that transparency is promoted,” he said.