Flooded with questions: Cebu’s P26-B dilemma

The flash floods that swallowed Cebu following Typhoon Tino’s landfall did more than turn streets into angry rivers and homes into waterlogged ruins. They exposed what may be a colossal failure of governance – or worse, a familiar pattern of graft – lurking beneath the surface of the island’s ambitious flood control projects.

Let’s get one thing straight: From 2016 to 2025, Cebu received a staggering P26 billion in flood control funding. In theory, that should have made the province one of the safest places during a typhoon. Instead, it became the face of tragedy – with neighborhoods submerged, homes swept away and over a hundred thousand Cebuanos displaced.

So, who’s to blame?

It appears nobody wants to say it aloud, but the writing is on the flood-stained wall.

Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro doesn't mince words. He wants the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) – the same body the president set up to untangle a web of substandard flood projects in Bulacan – to turn its attention to Cebu. And he has a name: QM Builders.

This isn’t just any contractor. QM Builders ranks among the top 15 contractors of the Marcos Jr. administration, having secured a jaw-dropping P7.3 billion worth of DPWH contracts despite posting zero recorded income between 2015 and 2024, according to SEC records. Add to that a capital of P1.2 million, and the plot thickens – like floodwater mixed with silt and suspicion.

And yet, QM Builders keeps building.

Or does it?

Governor Pamela Baricuatro, herself a recent flood victim, fired the first shot: “P26 billion in flood control funds for Cebu yet we are flooded to the max,” she lamented on Facebook. Her anger is shared by a nation that has seen ghost projects, kickback scandals, and now, a province drowning amid supposed “protection.”

The Palace says the president shares that frustration. But whether this will translate into real accountability depends on how far the ICI and DPWH are willing to go. After all, they’ve already cracked the door open in Bulacan, where ghost projects and padded budgets allegedly thrived.

Let’s be clear – investigating Cebu is not just about technical lapses. It’s about political will, public accountability, and the long-term price ordinary Filipinos pay for short-term corruption.

And Typhoon Tino’s death toll in Cebu – 131 and counting – proves just how steep that price can be.

Floodwaters are receding in Cebu. But the flood of questions is just beginning.