Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday was so disappointed with the Metro Manila Development Authority over last week’s (August 7) deluge that he used his privileged speech to denounce the agency.
“It’s an MMDA-made floods,” Cayetano said as he blamed the agency for the torrents of water that raged through the streets of the metropolis and overwhelmed some houses with up to six feet of water.
He said MMDA officials should be held accountable for failure to expeditiously approve requests for fuel for water pumps that would have siphoned off flood waters in submerged areas.
The senator demanded an investigation.
As if that was not enough, Cayetano questioned the expertise of the MMDA whose head, Francis Tolentino, holds the title of anti-flood czar.
“Ano ba talaga ang expertise ng MMDA (What’s really the expertise of MMDA)? Flood control or damage control for their shortcomings?” Cayetano asked.
As to the fuel-starved water pumps, Cayetano quoted letters of MMDA engineers requesting for diesel supplies for the pumping stations in Hagonoy, Taguig-Wawa and Labasan.
He said the request was made as early as July, ahead of the grim weather experienced last week.
However, it took 21 days for Tolentino to approve the request and contractor was only able to deliver the fuel on August 8, two days after the floods wrought havoc on Metro Manila.
Worse, Cayeteno discovered that the contractors were not able to supply the full amount of fuel. In Hagonoy pumping station, only 18,000 liters were delivered, he said.
Cayetano also blamed the severe flooding on the P. Tuazon underpass along EDSA to the plant boxes on the center aisle of the road. He said eroded soil clogged the drainage, aggravating the floods.