Ridon trains probe spotlight on Pulong

The House infrastructure committee’s probe on ghost and substandard flood control projects in Bulacan will be extended to the P51 billion worth of projects allegedly funded by Davao Representative Paolo Duterte’s office.

Panel chair Terry Ridon said that aside from the P260-million substandard rock shed project in Benguet, they will scrutinize projects in Duterte’s district in Davao, citing complaints about persistent flooding.

“We can go and investigate this further, especially since there have been reports of flooding again in Davao. What people are asking now is: What happened to the P51 billion? Why is Davao City still experiencing floods?” Ridon said in an interview on Sunday.

Duterte confirmed receiving P51 billion worth of projects and challenged authorities to check them, amid speculation of misuse of public funds. The allocation covered 2020 to 2022, during his first term as congressman and the last three years of his father Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency.

Manila Representative Joel Chua, panel co-chair, questioned why Duterte’s district got such a massive allocation, saying the funds could have been used to buy medical supplies during the pandemic and mitigate the country’s debt.

Duterte hit back, accusing colleagues of using the inquiry to link his family to corruption. He insisted the projects in his district are legitimate, “built on solid ground,” and can be used by his constituents.

At last week’s hearing, Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary for Planning Maria Catalina Cabral confirmed a 2024 report that Duterte’s district received P13.74 billion in flood control projects in the 2020 budget, despite Malacañang’s proposal of only P4.67 billion.