No justice for millions of flooded homeowners

Three points arose amid floods from two weeks of monsoon rains.

Sen. Ping Lacson on X, Aug. 17: “Flood control vs Uncontrolled Flood: P1.939 trillion [P1,939,000,000,000] funded the DPWH flood control management program under three presidents from 2011 to 2025. And the result is uncontrolled flood.”

Rep. Chel Diokno grilled Budget Sec. Kim Robert de Leon, Aug. 18, on the P7.2-trillion proposed appropriations for 2027, six percent more than 2026: “Tumaas ang budget for this year pero nabawasan naman ang pondo para sa mga ahensyang direktang namumuhunan sa ating mga tao.

“Sabay-sabay bumaba ang budget for DepEd, CHED, SUCs, TESDA, DOH, PhilHealth at DSWD. Bakit tila ayaw mamuhunan ng gobyerno natin sa sariling mamamayan?”

[De Leon replied, “‘Yon pong mga na-obserbahan na decrease took into account the absorptive capacity of these agencies dahil po sa kanilang mababang utilization.”]

“If that is the case, why is it that the budget for DPWH was increased by P112 billion when there are similar issues with absorptive capacity, underutilization issues of corruption? We urge the Development Budget Coordination Committee to review and reprioritize funding for our schools, state universities and colleges, health services and social protection.

“Ang tunay na pundasyon po ng isang matatag at maunlad na bansa ay ang pamumuhunan sa ating mga mamamayan.”

Five-and-a-half million flood victims across 10 regions had one bitter question: “Our officials supposedly built flood controls, so why are we suffering?”

Initial reports: 27 dead. Infrastructure and agricultural losses, P4.93 billion. Houses damaged, 1,993. Evacuees, 42,000 in 461 emergency shelters.

In January, Tropical Storm Ada killed two and rendered homeless 7,170 families in Bicol and Caraga regions. In July, Typhoon Inday drowned 26 and left 14 buried in landslides, with 244,000 families displaced. And the stormy year is not yet over. Then severe El Niño will set in late 2026 till 2027.

Who caused this misery? Filipinos know their names and faces. They’re the national and local politicos and bureaucrats who plundered bulk of the flood funds. They gave away political ayuda during the elections of 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025. Now they’re giving away relief goods as consolation.

Filipinos learned about climate change as far back as 1995. Scientists warned that they’ll be among the severest victims. Temperatures and ocean levels will rise near the equator. Typhoons will become fiercer and more frequent. Fisheries and agriculture will dwindle.

Government crooks took advantage. They proposed construction of seawalls, river dikes and slope protections – but only to filch 20- to 80-percent kickbacks. If from ghost works, then 100 percent stolen.

Congressional “insertions” in DPWH’s annual allocations became the norm after the Supreme Court outlawed pork barrels in 2013. At first it was hush-hush. Malacañang’s DBCC and Congress worked out the details behind closed doors.

Insertions became public during a heated debate on Dec. 11, 2018 between then budget secretary Ben Diokno and House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya. Andaya demanded details of DPWH’s P51-billion insertions for 2019. Whereupon Diokno crowed that it’s P75 billion in all.

On Nov. 6, 2020 then president Rody Duterte said, “Ang pinaka-racket sa DPWH ay ghost projects. Walang delivery, ghost lang. Marami ‘yan. Karamihan ‘yan, it’s the regional directors. Pinapalabas ng regional directors na may project, pero wala.

“So the best way is to conduct an audit of those projects to determine if they are ghost projects or not. And I think there are plenty. And I dare say na ang pinakamarami siguro matanggal would be from DPWH.”

In the next two months, he relieved only 14 of 187 DPWH district engineers. In July 2021, he fired another batch. No names were ever mentioned. No regional director was touched.

Insertions went on under President Bongbong Marcos. BBM reported to the nation in July 2024 having completed 5,500 flood works. No one believed him. Heavy rains were deluging Luzon that day.

In July 2025, BBM conceded that the insertion racket was widespread. “Mahiya naman kayo,” he chided members of his Congress supermajority. They jumped to their feet and cheered to dissimulate guilt. Days later, he publicized a list of constructors, including congressmen who cornered the largest fake and faulty flood works.

Last July BBM said first cousin ex-Speaker Martin Romualdez will soon be indicted. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had called Romualdez the P56-billion mastermind of flood scams.

Three weeks later, last Tuesday, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano admitted a hitch. Four of eight witnesses against Romualdez have recanted. This can weaken his prosecution.

If so, then the P1.939 trillion spent on flood works will be for naught. DPWH will still go its crooked ways. And the 5.5 million recent flood victims will get no justice.

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