By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains firm in holding government officials accountable, especially with the issue of misuse of public funds, Malacañang reiterated Tuesday.
This was the response of the Palace when asked for a comment on reports that the affidavit of Ramil Madriaga—said to be the alleged “bagman” of Vice President Sara Duterte—was referred to the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Ang sinumang makapagbibigay ng anumang ebidensya laban sa sinumang public servant, at ito’y patungkol sa paglustay at pagnanakaw ng pondo ng bayan, dapat lang pong maimbestigahan,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
Regarding Madriaga’s statement that Duterte’s campaign budget during the 2022 polls came from questionable sources, Castro said, “Wala pong personal na knowledge ang Pangulo patungkol sa anumang maaaring naging transaksiyon ng Bise sa POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) o drug lords. Wala siyang masasabi patungkol dito.”
Marcos and Duterte ran under the UniTeam alliance in the 2022 presidential and vice-presidential elections.
Castro also clarified that the President has yet to address the possibility of a new impeachment complaint against the Vice President amid new plunder charges filed by church and civil society groups against Duterte for alleged misuse of funds under the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education.
“Sa ngayon hindi pa isyu sa Pangulo ang impeachment laban kay VP Sara. Pero sinabi niya noon pa, kung dapat managot, dapat panagutin. Wala dapat sini-sino,” Castro said.
On alleged ‘premature’ opening of Bucana Bridge
Meanwhile, Malacañang asserted that the scheduled opening of the Davao City Coastal Road Segment B (Tulip Drive – Roxas) on Monday was not premature, citing an initial agreement that motorists can access the bridge’s two lanes daily from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte criticized the reportedly “premature” opening of the bridge due to the lack of streetlights, traffic signs, and other safety features along the opened section.
Castro said that according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the installation of solar-powered streetlights on the bridge would be completed in two to three days.
“Ang kailangan lang po talaga ay ang kooperasyon din po ng LGU para maisakatuparan po ito para sa ikagiginhawa po ng ating mga kababayan,” she said.
To ensure public safety, Castro said the DPWH is committed to finishing the infrastructure project.
“Muli, babanggitin ko po ang sinabi mismo ni Secretary Vince [Dizon], ‘Prayoridad ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan kahit saan lugar, hindi lang sa Davao o sa Manila’,” she said.
In a statement, DPWH Region XI (Davao Region) cancelled the opening of the Bucana Bridge Segment B on Tuesday, “as additional safety measures and assessments are still being undertaken to ensure the protection of all motorists and road users.”
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