Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla on Tuesday, Aug. 25 called Davao City the "epicenter of flood control" and cited the massive "ecosystem of corruption" there during the agency’s budget hearing at the House of Representatives.

Remulla floated these phrases as he fielded questions from Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio in the Committee on Appropriations' ongoing 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) briefings.

However, Remulla quickly clarified that his remarks weren't a conclusion and that the Ombudsman was still investigating Davao City.

Tinio, a member of the Makabayan bloc, prefaced his questions by saying that the flood control projects corruption scandal didn't start with the current Marcos administration. He said he heard about it as early as the previous Duterte administration.

"Pero as early as 2018 natatandaan ko, sa Kongreso din mismo na ito ay unang nilantad yung modus ng mga insertion at ghost projects and so on. Meron po bang ginagawa ang Ombudsman sa pag-imbestiga sa mga flood control corruption issues sa panahon pa ng nakaraang administrasyon?" Tinio asked.

(But as early as 2018, I recall that it was first exposed in Congress itself—the modus of insertions, ghost projects, and so on. Is the Ombudsman doing anything to investigate flood control corruption issues from the previous administration?)

Remulla initially showed no hesitation with his response.

"Opo. Hindi lang ho madali talaga. Sapagkat, sabihin natin, ang epicenter po ng flood control bago ho dumating ang Marcos administration ay Davao City," he said.

(Yes. It is just not easy. Because, let us say, the epicenter of flood control before the Marcos administration was Davao City.)

Remulla, a former Cavite congressman, continued: "Ang ecosystem of corruption po, mabigat. Mahirap pong pasukin, mahirap pong kumuha ng impormasyon, marami hong taong hindi nagsasalita. Pero hindi ho kami tumitigil."

(The ecosystem of corruption is heavy. It is difficult to penetrate, difficult to gather information, and many people do not speak. But we do not stop.)

He alluded to the longstanding allegation that a lot of flood control funds were poured into Davao City during former president Rodrido Duterte’s time in Malacañang.

"Davao po yung ecosystem na aming tinutukoy. Doon ho maraming pondo na pumasok daw sa flood control. Yan po yung aming kinakalap nang husto. At mayroon pa hong lalawigan na aming tinitignan sa panahong yun upang makita yung pattern kung saan po nagsisimula yung mga pattern," he said.

(Davao is the ecosystem we are referring to. That is where a lot of funds supposedly went into flood control. That is what we are thoroughly gathering.

And there were also provinces we were looking into at that time to see the pattern, where those patterns were beginning.)

But when Tinio said that he heard Remulla say Davao was the "epicenter of corruption", the latter quickly qualified it.

"[Epicenter of] flood control po," the Ombudsman said.

"I will not draw that conclusion (epicenter of corruption) immediately. Ito po ay pinag-aaralan namin, kasi ang mahalaga po, makita namin ang ebidensiya sa ground, your honor," he noted.

(We are studying this, because what is important is that we see the evidence on the ground, your honor.)

Later, in a chance interview after the appropriations panel hearing, Remulla was asked whether or not his "epicenter" statement was about corruption in Davao.

"We will check out, the flood control," he simply said.