Insertions

While in the middle of an investigative journalism conference along with several journalists, we were taken aback when our phones buzzed almost simultaneously. A notification popped up: long-time missing, resigned congressman Zaldy Co had resurfaced through a video statement. His sudden reappearance alone was enough to stir the room, but it was what he said that left many of us exchanging knowing glances. He alleged that the president himself asked him to insert certain projects into the national budget. It was an explosive claim, and one that, like all allegations, demands careful and thorough verification before anyone takes it as truth. Still, the statement resurrected the issue that has dominated the news agenda for months. We are all familiar with flood-control projects and the scandal surrounding them.

Flood control has always been a necessary, even mundane, part of government infrastructure. It was only in recent times that it became a popular reason for an infrastructure project. Here in Cebu, and in many parts of the country, it has become synonymous with something darker. Last week, the rains intensified and the flood-control project did not do its job. Some, if not all, that we visited were damaged after the strong current of the flashflood. Yet again, the very projects meant to protect us have become the center of controversy, inefficiency, and alleged corruption. While the investigations trudge along, the floods continue to rise, and people continue to die.

Last week, Cebu saw deaths directly tied to flash floods. These are not just statistics. These are families whose grief will be carried long after officials issue their templated promises of “swift action”, “thorough review”, and “ongoing investigation”. Others are even served with a hand-delivered letter. That is perhaps the most exhausting part. Until now, not one individual has been jailed. Not one official has been held meaningfully accountable. What we read instead are the same tired replies from the independent body tasked to investigate these anomalies. As usual, they are still investigating. They tell us that they are still reviewing documents, still validating data and still waiting for something. I wish to be a witness and a legitimate whistleblower.

Meanwhile, we are left to navigate this controversy like we dip into knee-deep waters every time it rains for more than 15 minutes in some areas. Villages and residents are left to improvise flood-control measures on their own. Trust has now eroded. We no longer trust that any government project claiming to protect them actually will.

Flood control should never have been political. It should never have been a byword for profit. It is supposed to be infrastructure in its most basic form like structures that keep people alive. In Cebu, and in many parts of the Philippines, the conversation has shifted from engineering failures to political failures. This shift tells us that when the next big flood comes, we will continue to demand. The tragedy will not be because the rain was strong, we continue to chant because accountability was weak.