By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will spare no one in the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects in the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos Jr. administration will ensure that sanctions will be meted out to contractors or even anyone close to him found involved in irregularities in flood mitigation projects.
“Kahit malapit sa puso, kahit kaibigan, wala pong sisinuhin ang Pangulo. Mananagot ang dapat managot,” Castro said.
Castro said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will not be part of the investigating body, stressing that the agency’s role in the ongoing investigation is limited to providing information on the flood control projects.
Despite the alarming patterns in the awarding of flood control projects, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of the President, Castro said.
In a press conference on Monday, Marcos revealed that 15 contractors secured nearly 20% of the total P545.64 billion allocation for the government’s flood control program.
Marcos also noted inconsistencies in the top 10 provinces with the most flood control projects, saying some of them are not flood-prone areas.
According to the DPWH’s initial report, around 6,021 of the 9,855 flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025 have a project of more than P350 billion without specific details on the type of structures being built, repaired, or rehabilitated.
Castro clarified that the 15 contracts will not be blacklisted, pending the results of the investigation.
“Hindi pa po. Sinabi lang po, iyan na lang po ‘yong mga paunang impormasyon na ito, ‘yong medyo madaming mga projects na nakuha mula sa gobyerno. So, titingnan po natin. Ang sabi naman po ng Pangulo, ang mga ni-report, hindi naman ibig sabihin lahat iyan ay ma-anomalya. Mayroon naman na magaganda na naging resulta na ginawa ng mga contractor na ito,” she said.
“So, iyan po ang sisimulang imbestigahan kung—unang-una po ang magiging basehan po nito ay kung existing ba iyong project; pangalawa, operational ba; pangatlo, kung effective. So, ‘yon ‘yong titingnan,” Castro added.
Castro also noted that in the coming days, there will be an inspection of more areas with ongoing flood control projects.
She said the government will also be stricter in entering into new contracts for flood control projects.
“Kahit ano pa man ang gamiting pangalan ng inyong kompanya, ang inyong trabaho ang susuriin at sa trabaho rin ninyo makikita kung may anomalya,” Castro said.
“Maging mapanuri, mga dating na-blacklist, nag-iba lang ng pangalan at ngayon ay mukhang nakakapag-transact pa muli sa gobyerno. Mahiya naman kayo,” she added.
