P60B earmarked for Cebu in six years Ombudsman probes flood projects

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman will scrutinize all flood control projects in Cebu amid recurring flooding in the province despite around P60 billion in flood control allocations over the past six years.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, who was in Cebu yesterday to inspect flood control projects following recent flooding, said his office would examine projects implemented across the province.

Remulla said around P60 billion had been allocated for flood control projects in Cebu over the past six years, with a significant portion going to the province’s seven congressional districts and a major contractor.

Given the huge amount of funding, Remulla said flooding in Cebu should have been controlled by now.

“But apparently, flooding happened again here in Cebu over the past months. So we have to look at what is happening. Is it the design? Is it the execution? Or is it simply corruption? I think we have to find out, and then we will know,” Remulla said in a press conference at the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas in Cebu City yesterday.

He said the investigation would begin in flood-affected areas, where the Ombudsman would examine whether projects were properly designed, constructed and executed according to contract specifications.

Mananga inspection

During his Cebu visit, Remulla personally inspected the Mananga River Flood Control Project in Talisay City.

He said the Ombudsman needs to study the project’s master plan to determine where problems in the flood control system originated.

The office will examine whether the issues stemmed from planning, execution or implementation and use the findings to establish cases against officials or institutions that may have violated the law.

The Mananga River was among the sites Remulla inspected during his first Cebu visit as Ombudsman. He also met with officials and employees of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

The visit was also aimed at determining possible causes of the persistent flooding experienced in Cebu.

Ghost projects

Asked about the alleged ghost flood control project in the Cebu Third District earlier reported by the National Bureau of Investigation-Cebu District Office, Remulla said the Ombudsman would include it in its review.

“We will look at all of these when we review the project. Exactly, the first thing we do is look at all the documents.”

He said there had been instances in the past when project locations were transferred and projects were double-counted.

“We will look at that. We will also look at the location through the digital tools that we have, so we can determine whether it is a ghost project or not, whether it is substandard or standard. That will be part of the validation. So, it is possible that it is a ghost project, but we will have to check, identify and validate it first,” he said.

Remulla said the anti-graft body would scrutinize the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional and district offices, including district engineers and contractors involved in flood control projects.

The review will cover possible ghost and substandard projects, double-counting of projects and alleged irregularities in bidding and implementation.

The Ombudsman will also examine project contracts and technical specifications, which Remulla said could be challenging because of the volume of documents involved.

“It’s easy to conclude, but to prove is harder. And my job is to prove,” he said.

Remulla said the Ombudsman has about 10 months to work on the investigation and would establish clearer parameters at the central office to prioritize areas that could provide the greatest public benefit.

“We have about 10 months to work on this, and I think it is about time that we set clearer parameters, specifically for the central office, so that we can focus on areas that will provide the greatest benefits,” he said.

More lawyers

Remulla also announced plans to hire additional 20 lawyers for the Ombudsman-Visayas Office to strengthen its prosecution, fact-finding and criminal investigation functions.

He stressed that the Ombudsman would not rush to file cases without sufficient evidence.

“We cannot file cases just like that. Or put people in jail just like that. We need the evidence,” he said.

He said several requests had already been filed with the Ombudsman, but these would have to undergo further investigation.

“I have to remind everybody that we cannot file a case just like that, or put people in jail just like that. We need evidence. We need to know the facts before we can pursue a case,” he said.

“We have to respect the role of the Ombudsman in sifting through the evidence before making a decision. Of course, that does not mean that we will simply accept everything. We want things to be established specifically so that we can draw lessons from these problems,” he said.

Remulla said corruption may be widespread, with problems particularly evident along waterfronts, riversides and coastal areas.

“But I don’t think that, by itself, is enough to say that it is corruption. We have to establish the facts and determine whether there was wrongdoing,” he said.

Remulla also called for greater transparency in government transactions, including mandatory digital recording of bidding processes and other government activities from the barangay level to the national government.

He said greater transparency is needed to address corruption and restore public trust.

Remulla said the Ombudsman would focus not only on plunder but also on conflicts of interest, particularly involving public officials with business interests connected to government projects.

He cited the alleged involvement of lawmakers in contracting, which he said creates a serious conflict of interest.

“When the contractors became congressmen, and then the congressmen became contractors, that’s where probably everything just blew apart,” he said.

He also cited the alleged insertion of billions of pesos into the national budget while flagship and foreign-assisted projects were set aside in favor of flood control projects.

Remulla said such alleged schemes would form part of the cases the Ombudsman plans to file, including cases involving conspiracy to commit plunder.

He stressed that the goal of the Ombudsman is not simply to target individuals but to bring about broader change in society.

“It is not about targeting people. It’s about targeting a change in our society,” Remulla said.

Remulla pushed for wider use of digital technology to promote transparency, saying government transactions should be accessible to the public from the barangay level to the national government.

He said information involving government personnel, salaries, contracts, permits, bidding and other transactions should be transparent and digitally accessible.

According to Remulla, digital tools such as closed-circuit television cameras, artificial intelligence, social media and the internet can make transparency easier to achieve.

He acknowledged that there could be resistance to the changes but said transparency should eventually become a way of life.

Certainty of punishment

On the prosecution of corruption cases, Remulla said the Ombudsman would prioritize building cases supported by sufficient evidence before filing them in court.

He said certainty of punishment, rather than severity, would serve as a stronger deterrent to corruption.

“It is not the death penalty that will give a deterrence to corruption. It is the certainty of punishment,” Remulla said.

He added that the Ombudsman must ensure that cases filed against government officials are backed by evidence because those being investigated may have money, power and influence.

Remulla said the next few years would involve serious efforts to investigate, file and prosecute corruption cases.

He also urged Filipinos to support efforts to fight corruption, saying the same national pride shown by Filipinos cheering for tennis player Alexandra Eala should also be reflected in the fight for good governance.

“We have to create that kind of country. Help create it,” Remulla said.

He emphasized the importance of evidence in the Ombudsman’s work, saying accusations against public officials must be supported by proof.

“Probably, I should look to that. Maybe that’s why, deep inside me, I’m always looking for the evidence that will buttress the claims that someone has committed a crime. Because we do not want to accuse anybody without any evidence,” he said. — (FREEMAN)