Senator Bam Aquino on Tuesday, 11 November, said it was corruption and greed that were behind the hundreds of casualties and the massive destruction left by Typhoons Tino and Uwan in various parts of the country.

Aquino issued the statement following reports that more than 200 people perished in the twin typhoons.

"Corruption and greed are deadly. They are to blame for the loss of so many lives, destruction of property, and loss of livelihood of many of our countrymen," he said.

The reported death toll from Typhoon Tino, which submerged a huge part of the Visayas and nearby areas this month, has climbed to 232, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Uwan has left six people dead and 13 injured. It has also affected over 2.3 million individuals in 15 regions.

Aquino blamed the reported billions of pesos allotted for flood control projects in Cebu province that failed to protect residents from severe flooding, raising suspicions of substandard construction and misuse of funds.

"If these projects had been done properly, they would have certainly provided the right protection to our countrymen in Cebu. But it seems that the welfare of the people has been set aside for the personal interests of a few corrupt people in the government," he lamented

Aquino also pointed to unchecked greed that has led to the destruction of forest areas that could have served as natural protection against floods.

"Because of greed, forests that could have helped prevent flooding and provided additional protection to our countrymen have been cleared," he added.

Aquino called for accountability and long-term reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future. He stressed that it is important to lay down long-term solutions to the recurring flooding so that what happened in Cebu and other parts of the country will not happen again.

"Those behind the anomalous and botched flood control projects must also be held accountable," he said. "The blood of those who died in this disaster is on their hands because of their corruption and greed."