Palace to Sara: Check Duterte-era flood projects

Malacañang on Wednesday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte over her latest tirade against the administration, turning her criticism over widespread flooding toward flood control projects implemented during the presidency of her father, Rodrigo Duterte.

Sara said in a social media post that the country was drowning in floodwaters while the government was allegedly working to divide and steal from the proposed 2027 national budget and preparing to alter the Constitution to remain in power.

Palace press officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro responded by pointing to flooding in Davao City.

“So, doon po sa lubog na ang bansa sa baha, totoo naman po, kitang-kita po natin ito sa Davao City. Kaya nga po nagpabigay na agad ng utos ang Pangulo kay Secretary Vince Dizon na ayusin ang pagbaha, malalang pagbaha sa Davao City. At nakita po ni Secretary Vince Dizon na mayroong isang proyekto doon na noong 2019 pa ay hindi naaayos. At sa sampung taon ay walang dredging na ginawa,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.

Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. immediately ordered Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to address the flooding after being informed of the situation.

She also cited Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s disclosure that his office was examining flood control spending in Davao, which he described as an “ecosystem” where substantial funds had been poured into such projects.

Castro pointed to a 30 May 2022 report showing that 13,970 flood control projects had been completed under the Duterte administration as of March that year.

“At nakikipag-ugnayan na rin po tayo dahil kailangan na rin pong makita at maimbestigahan, aking ipapakita ang report dated 30 May 2022 kung saan, as of March 2022, mayroong 13,970 flood control projects na nakumpleto sa panahon ni dating Pangulong Duterte,” Castro said.

“So, dapat po talaga itong makita at nakikipag-ugnayan din po tayo sa DPWH na dapat natin malaman kung ito ba numero lamang o totoong mga nag-e-exist,” she added.

Castro also cited former President Duterte’s previous acknowledgment that ghost infrastructure projects existed during his administration.

“Kasi napakalaking bagay kung ito lahat ay maayos, nagawa nang maayos, kumpleto dahil makakatulong ito sa problema ng baha. So, kung may dapat managot dito sa mga proyektong ito, dahil inamin naman ni dating Pangulong Duterte na may ghost projects sa panahon niya, dapat din nating malaman kasi para maibigay po natin ang kahilingan ng Bise Presidente na managot ang dapat na managot,” she said.

During House deliberations on the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed 2027 budget, Remulla said investigators were looking into reports of corruption involving flood control projects during the Duterte administration but acknowledged the difficulty of the task.

“Ang ecosystem ng corruption po ay mabigat. Mahirap pong pasukin. Mahirap pong kumuha ng impormasyon. Marami hong taong hindi nagsasalita. Pero hindi ho kami tumitigil. Davao po 'yung ecosystem na aming tinutukoy kasi doon ho marami pondo na pumasok daw sa flood control. 'Yan po 'yung aming kinakalap nang husto,” Remulla said.

‘Guard the bicam’

Responding to Sara’s allegation that officials were preparing to divide up the 2027 national budget, Castro urged the Vice President to instead keep watch over the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed General Appropriations Act.

Castro also rejected Duterte’s claim that the government was preparing to “bend” the Constitution to stay in power, pointing to the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.

“At ang paghahanda kung paano baliin ang Konstitusyon, sa ngayon po ang impeachment proceedings ay naaayon sa Konstitusyon at ito ay parte ng probisyon ng Saligang Batas upang mapanagot ang dapat na managot. Kung may kasalanan dapat na mahatulan,” Castro said.