Solons tagged as ‘brains’ behind flood scam

Former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) chair Greco Belgica isn’t mincing words. He squarely pointed to members of the House of Representatives as the “masterminds” behind the multi-billion-peso corruption mess in flood control projects.

In a press conference that has since gone viral on TikTok and Facebook, Belgica dismissed contractors as mere pawns in the scheme. He likened them to the “lowest mammals on the totem pole,” saying they were simply following orders from more powerful players higher up.

“If they said 10 percent, 50 percent, they will just obey orders. Contractors are not the masterminds. The masterminds are those who are the ones who hold the funds and have control over the district engineers (of the Department of Public Works). And who are they? They are the crocodiles, who are the congressmen,” he said.

Belgica said that DPWH district engineers initiate the bidding process, design, and supervise.

“But if the district engineer did not obey the wants of the Congressmen, then he would be removed. Congressmen also make allocations for projects? So, who is the powerful, the congressman, the contractor, or the district engineer? Of course, the congressman. But don’t make any accusations, or else you will be called at the QuadComm,” he said, adding that he is now readying himself because for sure he will be called at the said committee of the House of Representatives.

“I am not afraid of being incarcerated in Congress because I will consider that as a chip on my shoulder for doing what is right,” according to Belgica.

During his term as PACC chairperson in December 2020, he had submitted reports to his former boss, then-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, that several congressmen were benefitting from deals with DPWH’s infrastructure projects.

The lawmakers that were identified were Occidental Mindoro Representative Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Former Ifugao Representative Teodoro Baguilat Jr., Quezon City Fifth District Representative Alfred Vargas, Misamis Occidental Representative Henry Oaminal, Isabela Fourth District Representative Alyssa Sheena Tan, and Northern Samar Representative Paul Daza

Former Quezon province Representative Angelina ‘Helen’ Tan, former ACT-CIS Partylist Representative Eric Yap, and Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman.

But these congressmen denied the allegations of Belgica during that time, while the identified DPWH officials were only relieved from their posts.

Head should roll this time

As the nation has finally gotten involved against substandard and ghost flood control projects with the launch of “Sumbong sa Pangulo”, Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said the final test still looms ahead if there will be a certainty of punishment, prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment against all those involved, especially the so-called big fish.

Lacson stressed that without the certainty of punishment, corruption will continue, along with the loss of lives and taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

“I hope there will be big fish that will be charged, prosecuted, convicted, and jailed so their example will not be followed. In my law enforcement days, this was called certainty of punishment. If there is no accountability or certainty of punishment, those involved in corruption will be emboldened to continue - and those who are not may be encouraged to engage in it,” he said in Filipino.

Last Aug. 20, Lacson delivered a privilege speech where he detailed the extent of corruption that marred several flood control projects.

Also, Lacson noted that more than P1.9 trillion was allocated to the DPWH alone for flood control projects since 2011, yet this failed to solve the problem of flooding.

He added that at least half of the P1.9 trillion may have been lost to corruption.

Moreover, he said that while he is heartened that the public has become involved in monitoring and reporting tainted flood control projects, in part due to the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, he wants it to be expanded to cover all infrastructure projects.