Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Tuesday he had “no personal knowledge” of allegations linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

“I know nothing about the alleged involvement of the President or the Office of the President in the flood control…I have no personal knowledge and that is being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman,” Recto told reporters at the House of Representatives.

Recto and other officials from the Office of the President (OP) appeared before the House Committee on Appropriations for deliberations on the office’s proposed P10.15-billion budget for 2027.

Following legislative tradition, however, the committee extended parliamentary courtesy to the OP and terminated deliberations on its proposed spending plan.

Minority lawmakers challenged the move, arguing that Marcos and his office had numerous questions to answer.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio maintained that Marcos should be subjected to the same transparency standards sought from Vice President Sara Duterte.

Tinio said one issue requiring answers involved allegations linking Marcos to the flood control controversy that the President himself publicly condemned.

During his 2025 State of the Nation Address, Marcos delivered his “mahiya naman kayo” rebuke against lawmakers and other government officials accused of pocketing funds intended for flood control projects.

Subsequent investigations have implicated several public officials in alleged irregularities involving flood control contracts under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed cases against some former and incumbent lawmakers accused of receiving kickbacks from anomalous projects.

Earlier this year, individuals who claimed to have served as bagmen for former congressman Zaldy Co surfaced with allegations that several officials received cash-filled luggage between 2022 and 2025.

Marcos was among those named in their joint affidavits. Malacañang has denied the President’s involvement in the alleged scheme.

The Ombudsman previously vowed to investigate the flood control controversy without “fear or favor,” while expressing appreciation for Marcos’ position allowing the anti-graft body to investigate even his relatives.

Among those under investigation is former Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom the Ombudsman has identified as an alleged central figure in the controversy.

Marcos maintained in his recent SONA that he would not interfere with the Ombudsman’s investigation even if it implicated Romualdez, his cousin.

“This is how accountability is meant to function: no favor asked, none given. The Office of the Ombudsman will press forward steadily, fairly and without fear or favor, for as long as the evidence and the law will allow,” the Ombudsman said.

The case against Romualdez is undergoing preliminary investigation and was recently submitted for resolution after his camp filed its response to the allegations.

Despite the allegations raised against Marcos, the Ombudsman has yet to publicly identify the President as among the individuals specifically under investigation in connection with the flood control controversy.