Malacañang on Wednesday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte who had said in a social media post that the country was drowning in floodwaters yet the administration was trying to steal funds from the 2027 national budget and preparing to amend the Constitution to maintain its grip on power.

The flooding, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro admitted, was real, particularly in Davao City, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already ordered Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to address the problem.

“So, regarding the claim that the country was submerged in floods, that is true. We can clearly see it in Davao City. That is why the President immediately ordered Secretary Dizon to address the severe flooding in that city,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

Castro said Dizon discovered a flood control project in Davao City that was started in 2019 but was still unfinished and it had not undergone dredging in years.

On accountability, Castro cited Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla who said his office will investigate the huge funds poured into Davao City which he described as the “epicenter” of flood control projects.

Castro clarified, however, that having large funds did not automatically mean corruption.

“We are also coordinating because this needs to be examined and investigated. I will show the report dated 30 May 2022 which stated that as of March 2022, there were 13,970 flood control projects completed during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte. These really need to be examined,” Castro said.

Castro also pointed out that former president Duterte had admitted there were ghost infrastructure projects during his administration.

“It would be a huge development if all of these projects were properly completed because they would help address the flooding problem. So, if anyone should be held accountable for these projects, especially since former President Duterte himself admitted that there were ghost projects during his administration, then we need to find out who should be held accountable, so we can answer the Vice President’s call,” she said.