An anti-corruption advocate in Quezon City is accusing political rivals of using an ongoing flood control scandal to discredit local lawmakers who may be preparing for the 2028 elections.
Janno Orate, chairman of the Quezon City Against Corruption (QCAC), said Friday that allegations linking city legislators to the controversy appear to be fueled by those who lost in the previous election.
“We are noticing in the investigation that it's getting confusing,” Orate said at a news briefing at Kamuning Bakery. “And we are also noticing that the fake news is now being used by politicians here in QC. Something else is happening; it's being politicized.”
Orate criticized a newly-established anti-corruption group that recently threatened to sue the implicated lawmakers without conducting a proper investigation.
“We, the QCAC, always investigate first before we criticize and organize press conferences. We hate corruption. But due process is very important and must be observed because what we want is for the genuinely guilty to be punished," he stressed. "How can they call themselves an anti-corruption group? It's like they were just formed in order to destroy somebody’s credibility."
While he did not name the new group, Orate said its actions were “obviously politically motivated,” noting that all of the implicated Quezon City lawmakers are potential mayoral candidates in the 2028 election.
Orate specifically defended Representatives Patrick Michael Vargas and Marivic Co-Pilar, claiming they have no flood control projects in the city, despite the Discaya couple's claims they received kickbacks from alleged “ghost projects.”
He also expressed surprise that Representative Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde had been implicated.
“When the Quezon City Against Corruption was investigating, what we were finding, what we were reading, it seemed vague,” Orate said. “But I can see he is being targeted in this demolition... because I know he is an actor.”
Orate maintained that the QCAC’s position is firm: if the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) determines that the lawmakers are involved in corruption, the QCAC will support the filing of charges against them.
