Pangilinan backs probe body on trillion-peso flood control mess
Where is the outrage? This is the Philippines in the eyes of many, struggling through floods, if not traffic. In the capital city, motor vehicles and stranded passengers wade through flooded streets after some rains on Friday, 22 August. With characteristic humor, Filipinos manage to laugh at discomforts as shown in these photos, even as revelations continue to be made on anomalous flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, its contractors, with alleged imprimatur from some local and national leaders.
Photographs by Toto Lozano and John Carlo Magallon for DAILY TRIBUNE
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan backed the creation of an independent commission to investigate the trillion-peso worth of anomalous flood control projects.
In a radio interview on Thursday, 28 August, Pangilinan stressed the need to ensure transparency, accountability, and the proper use of public funds to protect vulnerable communities from flooding.
“We support the creation by law of an independent investigative body that will look into these trillion pesos worth of corrupt flood control projects,” he said, expressing support for Senator Vicente Sotto III’s Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to create an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) to look into anomalies in all government infrastructure projects.
Pangilinan added that the commission must be led by the likes of former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, and Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong.
"They should be ashamed. They should be punished. They are guilty, yet they are also angry," he said.
"These people who are embezzling ghost projects should be prosecuted, and we support the President's thorough investigation into this," the senator added.
He also expressed support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call for a lifestyle check on all government officials amid the flood control projects mess.
"That's right. Let's support that so we can check the background of [public officials]," Pangilinan said, noting the social media posts showing the lavish lifestyles of family members and relatives of those allegedly behind the flood control ghost projects.
Pangilinan also called on Filipinos to be vigilant and to report on politicians' and public servants' “extravagant lifestyles.”
"Expose them on social media. Instead of being inspired, we got disgusted by the display of their greed and stolen wealth," he added.