Mismanaged climate funds ‘threatening national security’ — VP

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday criticized alleged corruption in flood control and climate infrastructure, linking the misuse of funds to the deaths and displacement caused by recent severe storms.

In a video message for Earth Day, Duterte cited a series of calamities that left nearly 300 people dead and displaced more than one-million residents.

She argued that the country’s vulnerability to disasters is exacerbated by the theft or waste of public funds.

“These are the consequences when we fail to respect the environment we depend on,” Duterte said. “When funds for flood control are stolen or wasted, we are not only failing the environment — we are betraying our own people.”

Duterte described corruption in climate infrastructure as a “direct threat to national security.” While she did not name specific officials or projects, she alleged that billions of pesos intended for flood mitigation had been mismanaged.

Her comments follow reports from lawmakers and watchdog groups regarding “ghost projects” — infrastructure that is paid for but remains incomplete, poorly executed, or non-existent.

In the same message, the Vice President highlighted the Office of the Vice President’s “PagbaBAGo: A Million Trees Campaign.”