Solons so low

DAILY TRIBUNE sent a photographer to Calumpit, Bulacan, to document the situation there amid the wasted flood control projects that have lit the fuse of President Ferdinand Marcos III.

A livid Marcos said he was “angry” and “extremely disappointed” after finding a project in nearby Baliwag, Bulacan, which had been marked “100 percent complete” and fully paid for, based on government records, did not exist.

What met the lensman’s eyes was the deplorable situation in the municipality, which lives in a world of water after an intense rain.

The inundation predictably happens after considerable rains despite P2.18 billion in projects to end the blight over the past three years.

Accountability falls heavily on members of Congress, mainly Senators, in the insertion of multibillion-peso flood control projects like those in Bulacan during the bicameral conference committee (Bicam) phase of the national budget process, which has come under intense scrutiny due to allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

The Bicam, tasked with reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget, operates with significant discretion, often leading to last-minute insertions of projects, including flood control initiatives.

The recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings exposed anomalies in these projects, particularly in Bulacan, where “ghost projects” and substandard works were linked to contractors like Wawao Builders, awarded P5.9 billion in Bulacan alone.

Senators, as Bicam members and leaders, hold substantial influence over project allocations.

Such discretion enabled the insertion of projects favoring specific contractors or regions, sometimes bypassing planning or flood-prone area prioritization.

Questions were raised over the mismatch in the annual flood control budget, as funds fail to reach critical areas in Central Luzon, and the recent revelations of the President indicated that most are clustered in Bulacan.

Still, the lucrative projects did not result in significant changes in areas where these were found, as the flood-prone regions of Calumpit, Malolos, Hagonoy, Paombong, Bocaue and Obando, are submerged in deeper waters without fail, over the years.

It was highlighted that some contractors merely lease licenses, not build structures themselves, raising concerns about accountability in project execution.

In other provinces, similar issues persist, though less detailed in reports.

The concentration of contracts among a few firms, as noted by President Marcos, suggested manipulation or gaming of the process, with P100 billion of the P54-billion flood control budget since 2022 going to just 15 contractors.

Public discontent and the demand for utmost transparency amid allegations of commissions and kickbacks necessitate immediate action from the leadership, lest complaints escalate into outrage and then unrest.

Senators are accountable for ensuring transparency and adherence to procurement laws, yet the Bicam’s opaque process obscured responsibility.

The Senate’s ongoing probe aims to uncover who benefited from the insertions, primarily in the 2025 budget.

Public pressure and President Marcos’ call for divulging the rotten practice in government underscored the need for oversight and the redirecting of funds to genuine flood-prone areas.

Those who have taken liberty of public funds must face extreme sanctions that will be enough to deter those in power from pocketing funds meant to serve public need.