Apply iron hand

In what he termed a factual presentation, Sen. Ping Lacson recently raised the possibility of Senators being implicated in the bacchanalia of public funds for flood control projects.

Nonetheless, the senator dropped hints about the possible involvement of his peers in the scandal, even as he refused to cite names of legislators. Still, in his recent speech, he mentioned the names of contractors who have enriched themselves from the pork barrel projects.

A review of the flood projects made available through the sumbongsapangulo.ph website showed Bulacan as having the most significant allocations of projects to mitigate the effects of flooding.

From 2021 to 2024, Bulacan secured a total of P43.5 billion worth of flood control contracts, with P6 billion allocated to Baliwag, a city that remains unaffected by the aftermath of downpours.

Lacson, in his bombshell before the Senate, named Henry Alcantara, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer with close ties to Senator Joel Villanueva.

During a recent distribution of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program (AICS), which is a cash handout program to supposed calamity victims, Villanueva introduced Alcantara as “our district engineer from Bocaue. He said he’s the most handsome district engineer of the DPWH — Henry Alcantara.”

Alcantara and his successor, Bryce Hernandez, were named by Lacson as living the lives of royalty and can afford to lose P150 million in a single trip to the casino.

Last June, Alcantara was promoted to assistant regional director of Region 4A, but his target is to return to Region 3 as regional director.

“He was replaced by his assistant, who is now the district engineer in Bulacan’s First District, but both of them are currently floating,” Lacson revealed.

“According to contractors and DPWH officials who spoke directly with me and my staff, the two are almost the same in their love for money,” Lacson revealed.

Senator JV Ejercito said that not only district engineers but their government partners live lavish lifestyles. “Sometimes when I go around, I get overwhelmed by the things they have. I’m not a saint, but I live simply. I ride motorcycles, I enjoy biking, I want only simple things.”

Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s revelations about 15 contractors that have cornered P100 billion in flood control projects over the past three years, Villanueva attempted to distance himself from contractors involved in the Bulacan projects.

“As the Majority Leader of the Senate, I don’t see any senators involved in any of these 15 construction firms,” he said in an apparent attempt to exculpate himself.

He even boldly suggested before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that the death penalty be imposed on the perpetrators involved in the anomalous projects.

“These contractors in Bulacan — all of them — I don’t know any of them. I was shocked by the total number of projects they hold, and now there’s even the possibility of ghost projects. I hope that if the death penalty is reinstated, they should be the first ones to face it,” according to the senator from Bulacan.

Absolutely shocking is the loud display of wealth amassed by the conspirators in exchange for lives and properties wasted from the flooding surge, despite the P545 billion spent over the past three years.

The welling public outrage has but one demand: a day of reckoning for the culprits.

Expressing anger is good, but tackling widespread corruption requires a show of determination and a strong will.