Belmonte says city lawmakers crossed party lines on flood projects

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who has faced public blame over recent flooding, said she not only initiated her own probe into alleged anomalies in flood control projects but also felt that city lawmakers mentioned in the investigations “crossed party lines.”

“Siyempre masama loob ko dahil sinasabi ng mga tao nilaglag ko ang mga congressman ko. The fact na hinayaan nila magkaroon ng ganitong klaseng mga palpak na project sa ating lungsod, tapos ako ang sinisi ng taongbayan nang binaha sila, is for me, ako ang nilaglag nila (congressmen), yun ang feeling ko di ba? Kasi nagtrabaho ko, at humingi ng tulong sa kanila at hindi nila sinabi na mayroon pala silang ganitong klaseng mga pondo na pwedeng sanang ilaan gamitin sa pakikipagtulungan sa lungsod para magkaroon tayo ng maayos na kasagutan at kalutasan sa problema ng pagbaha," Mayor Belmonte said.

(Of course, I feel bad because people are saying I abandoned my congressmen. The fact that they allowed this kind of flawed project in our city, and then I was the one blamed by the people when flooding happened — for me, they were the ones who abandoned me [the congressmen]. That’s how I feel, right? Because I did my work, I asked for their help, and they never told me that they actually had these kinds of funds that could have been allocated and used in cooperation with the city so we could have proper solutions to the flooding problem.)

Belmonte earlier revealed that eight construction firms owned by contractors Curlee and Sara Discaya cornered 27 flood control projects worth P1.52 billion in the city. The disclosure aligns with the Discayas’ sworn affidavit submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, where they implicated four Quezon City lawmakers: Rep. Marvin Rillo, Rep. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde, Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas, and Rep. Marivic Co Pilar. All four representatives have denied the allegations, calling the testimonies unfounded.

“In QC we had the Drainage Master Plan (DMP). Their lobby funds (sana) dito dalhin. P17 billion questionable (funds) that's almost 2/3, ng aming Drainage Master Plan,” Belmonte explained, referring to the DMP based on a study conducted by the University of the Philippines and commissioned by the city government.

Rep. Arjo Atayde, for his part, previously said he supports the city’s efforts and announced two proposed projects in District 1: the Construction of a Detention Basin under G. Araneta Avenue and the Talayan Flood Interceptor Project, which involves the construction of flood interceptors in Brgy. N. S. Amoranto, from G. Araneta Ave. to San Francisco River. According to him, the detention basin could cost between P4 billion and P24 billion, span 2.2 kilometers, and hold up to 282,000 cubic meters of water.

The Talayan Flood Interceptor Project would accommodate 10,000 cubic meters along streets in Brgy. Talayan, upgrading drainage pipes to increase capacity to 12,000 cubic meters. The total length of the flood interceptors would be 2.2 kilometers, with an estimated cost ranging from P1.2 billion to P2 billion.

According to Atayde, the funds needed for the two projects “are an investment in improving the lives of long-suffering QC residents who must be worried every time the rains pour.” He added, “My constituents, and the residents of Quezon City, are a resilient people. Pero di naman makaturungan na i-expect na taon-taon magtitiis sila kung kaya naman natin tugunan ang problema na ito.”

Atayde pointed out that Quezon City already has a comprehensive flood mitigation study and actionable plans to address flooding.

However, when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. disclosed alleged anomalies in flood control projects, Atayde’s name was raised in the investigation. DAILY TRIBUNE sought comment from the other lawmakers mentioned, but they declined to respond and denied the allegation.