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THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will look into discrepancies in farm-to-market road initiatives flagged by the Agriculture department, expanding the Marcos administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
Public Works Secretary Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon has mandated vigilant oversight of the allegations, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro informed a news outlet on Tuesday, emphasizing that irregularities in public works must be resolved promptly.
“All cases of this nature involving irregularities — not solely in flood mitigation projects but in all infrastructure — will be subject to close scrutiny,” she stated in Filipino.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. previously disclosed “phantom” farm-to-market road initiatives in Davao Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte, some of which either do not exist or are still incomplete despite receiving funding.
Two of the dubious projects trace back to 2021 and 2022, he mentioned, adding that these findings will be relayed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
The revelations emerged as senators investigate inflated and substandard flood control projects. During the hearings, contractors Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” C. Discaya and her spouse Pacifico F. Discaya confessed to bribing lawmakers and officials to secure government contracts.
Prominent politicians have been implicated in the scandal, including Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, resigned Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co, Senators Francis G. Escudero, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and Joel J. Villanueva, as well as former Senators Nancy S. Binay and Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr.
The controversies have intensified scrutiny over infrastructure expenditures, igniting calls for enhanced transparency and stricter oversight as the government strives to restore trust in public works.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pancratius “Kiko” N. Pangilinan urged the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to revisit its choice not to livestream proceedings in its investigation of the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, cautioning that such a decision could erode public confidence.
“Transparency is essential for public accountability,” he stated in a press release. “With all due respect, the ICI’s choice to bar the public from observing its proceedings online is ill-informed.”
ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka earlier stated that the commission would keep its sessions closed to prevent “trial by publicity” and to ensure they are not used for political advantage.
He indicated that the ICI’s function is to gather facts, with cases to be handed over to entities such as the Office of the Ombudsman.
Political analysts have warned that Mr. Marcos’s anti-corruption initiative could be dismissed as mere political posturing unless it results in prosecutions and convictions. Business organizations have also called for stronger accountability measures.
“The final nail in the coffin of public accountability lies in the intolerable delays in resolving corruption cases and the dismal conviction rates,” Mr. Pangilinan asserted.
He further emphasized that true accountability lies with the Judiciary, advocating for expedited trials, harsher penalties, and an end to impunity.
The scandal revolves around discrepancies in flood control projects, where approximately P500 billion has been allocated since 2022.
Mr. Marcos has since established the ICI, granting it the authority to recommend criminal, civil, and administrative actions in both flood-related and other infrastructure projects.
Critics caution that the controversy jeopardizes disaster-preparedness funding in a nation afflicted by an average of 20 typhoons annually and widely regarded as the globe’s most disaster-prone territory.
Also on Tuesday, House Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Antonio L. Tinio mentioned that the President has sanctioned around 3,700 public works projects valued at P214 billion in regions identified as hotspots for dubious infrastructure contracts.
During plenary discussions on the 2026 budget, the congressman stated that Mr. Marcos had approved funding for the projects through unprogrammed appropriations, alleging that the President shares culpability in the pervasive infrastructure corruption predicament.
“The one who authorized all the projects under unprogrammed appropriations was the President himself,” he asserted in the assembly.
Ms. Castro did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking input.
Mr. Tinio stated that about P29.4 billion in public works financing was designated to the Mimaropa region in the past two years, with P25 billion allocated to infrastructure projects in Central Luzon and P16 billion in the National Capital Region.
The corruption scandal surfaced after the President utilized his July State of the Nation Address to accuse lawmakers of profiting from government projects. Since then, the President has mandated lifestyle audits on officials, conducted surprise project inspections, and established the ICI to pursue cases.
Subsequent investigations by various agencies have highlighted discrepancies, pointing to recycled documentation and substandard construction materials.
On Sept. 21, thousands of Filipinos gathered in the capital for the largest protest in years against the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, transforming weeks of online outrage over corruption into mass demonstrations that unsettled the political establishment. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana and Adrian H. Halili
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