Senators thank Lacson for exposing flood control projects’ anomalies

Sen. Panfilo Lacson — INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Several senators have lauded Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s courage in exposing what they described as “harrowing and urgent” issues of large-scale corruption in the country’s flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Apart from associating himself with Lacson’s speech, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also said that “heads must roll,” considering the depth of alleged corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

When asked whether DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan should resign, Estrada said, “It is up to the President to decide if he has to resign or not. It is still the prerogative of the President. I reserve my comment.”

“Honestly or frankly speaking, maybe [the] Secretary also didn’t know about that, in fairness to Secretary Bonoan. I am not defending him. In fact, I asked a lot of questions thrown [at] him (Tuesday),” he said.

“Maybe Secretary Bonoan was not aware of what’s happening under him. Probably, he’s not monitoring that. But the problem is, it’s command responsibility. That is his responsibility as secretary of the department,” Estrada explained.

Estrada lauded Lacson’s privilege speech as “well prepared and well researched.”

“It was a really prepared speech that Senator Lacson researched—everything that happens in anomalous flood control projects,” he said.

Lacson said on Wednesday that funds for certain projects are divided according to “greed” from both the public and private sectors, leaving only crumbs for actual implementation.

READ: Lacson details corruption schemes in flood control works

Sen. Risa Hontiveros assured Lacson, “I am one with you in this fight.”

“I read on Facebook: ‘The Philippines is not poor. We are plundered.’ I could not agree more. We are victims of pervasive and systematic plundering. Because of corruption, many people continue to be poor,” she said.

“If an ordinary Filipino steals, he will be immediately imprisoned, and his life could be ruined. But the officials’ stealing through corruption seems to be a part of life that is accepted by everyone. I cannot accept that,” Hontiveros stressed.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo also said he fully supports Lacson’s call to demand full accountability over the disturbing anomalies in the country’s flood control projects.

“It’s disheartening to know that despite the billions of funds allocated for flood control projects, many of our fellow Filipinos remain inundated,” he said.

He noted that the DPWH alone received around P996.5 billion or almost P1 trillion for flood control programs.

“This is from the General Appropriations Act under the flood management program. This is aside from the budget allocated for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and other agencies for flood control,” Tulfo said.

“This is nothing less than a grand robbery of our nation. Our people are being robbed due to [a] lack of accountability,” he added. “Our people deserve no less than truth, transparency, and justice.”

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva thanked Lacson for his “thorough investigation” into the government’s flood control projects.

“We have been receiving reports of failed flood control projects, including ghost projects in Bulacan, and [those] who are involved, and we are currently looking into this,” he said.

“It is important to give our countrymen answers and hold those involved in the problem of unli-baha (unlimited floods) accountable,” he added. /das/abc