'No big fish'? Palace rejects claim in flood control scandal
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang defended the Marcos administration's handling of the flood control scandal, saying critics should recognize the government's progress in pursuing those allegedly involved in corrupt projects.
Palace press officer Claire Castro made the statement after civil society groups held a "White Ribbon March" on EDSA on Sunday to demand accountability for those who stole public funds.
Some protesters claimed that no "big fish" has been caught nearly a year since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation into the multibillion-peso scandal.
"Perhaps it would be better if they look at the updates on the investigations conducted by the administration," Castro said at a press briefing.
"We hope they will see these and they should not claim that the government did nothing because in less than a year, a lot more has been done compared to previous administrations," she added.
Castro said cases have been filed, two senators linked to questionable projects are undergoing trial, assets of some people allegedly tied to the scam have been frozen and licenses of nine firms linked to the Discayas have been revoked.
Among those recently arrested was Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who was detained after surrendering to authorities over a non-bailable P573-million plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from flood control projects. Estrada has denied the allegations.
Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan, Estrada's co-accused in the case, was also placed under hospital arrest at the Philippine National Police General Hospital due to health concerns.
Also charged in the case were former DPWH-NCR assistant district engineer Denryl Caesar Sanchez Cortuna and DPWH-NCR district engineers Manny Bumagat Bulusan and Arturo Lombres Gonzales Jr.
Data from the Government Procurement Policy Board also showed that 112 firms have been blacklisted, including 12 involved in public works projects.
Castro said Marcos wants to correct abuses that allowed irregularities to happen, adding that the Department of Budget and Management would ensure the proper release of funds.
Dropping charges. The Palace statement came as Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that his office is seeking to drop charges against Bonoan so he can serve as a state witness in flood control cases.
Remulla said Bonoan's institutional knowledge is important to the case buildup against other officials, while his deteriorating health makes it urgent to preserve his testimony.
The Ombudsman also said charges would soon be filed against a so-called "cong-tractor," a term used for lawmakers who allegedly act as government contractors.
Remulla said eight other House lawmakers are under preliminary investigation for possible conflict of interest and anomalies tied to flood control projects. — based on a report by The STAR
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