Erice: Flood control mess an all-government effort

Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice claimed that the multibillion flood control mess was a whole of government approach and a collaboration between the Executive, Senate, and the House.

Speaking during the DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk program, Erice noted that the General Appropriations Act (GAA) that funded the corruption through the ghost flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) could not have been implemented without the approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

He further explained that since the start of the Marcos administration the unprogrammed appropriations under the GAA had ballooned, alleging that these billions of funds were used for corruption.

Earlier in the year, the solon together with Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima filed a petition to the Supreme Court to probe and deem the aforementioned funding as unconstitutional in nature.

“My petition for the unconstitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations, where the Supreme Court requested for the SARO or special release order revealed that the unprogrammed appropriations were being released for flood control,” he said in Filipino.

“That meant that President Marcos was approving the release, because it can not be given out within the knowledge of the president, that’s a requirement,” he added.

Erice also attributed the delay in projects such as the Metro Subway and the North Extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to funding being allocated to ghost infrastructure projects.

He expressed that this postponement would just lead to additional costs for the government since prices of materials escalate as time goes on.

Asked who he thinks was the mastermind of the corruption, the solon tagged former congressman Zaldy Co and politicians who signed the budget, asserting that they are the people that know how the issue truly came to be.

Offering a solution to the crisis, Erice urged Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the head of the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee, to look into how and why the scandal was carried out in order to have the basis to establish policies that prohibit the issue from recurring.

On Tuesday, Lacson defended his committee’s ongoing investigation into the flood control mess amid criticisms from politicians regarding its process.

The senator noted that their probe has already produced results, particularly with the filing of cases against officials related to the issue.

He maintained that their initial report on the incident was evidence-based, backed by key testimonies from witnesses that enabled the committee to build a case that opens leads for further investigation on the liability of individuals.

“If the allegations are false, the process clears them. If true, the process convicts–with due process and accountability,” he said during his privilege speech.