Bong Go calls for accountability amid irregular infra spending

Senator Bong Go on Monday called for swift accountability and genuine reforms in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as he condemned alleged corruption and irregularities in flood control programs and infrastructure spending.

“Ikulong ang totoong kurakot (Imprison those who really corrupt),” Go said at yesterday’s Senate deliberations on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s proposed 2026 budget, emphasizing that the Filipino people are closely watching.

The senator, however, expressed support for DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, acknowledging his dedication but urging him to lead genuine reforms and hold all corrupt individuals accountable.

At the hearing, Go criticized the use of unprogrammed appropriations, describing them as prone to abuse and calling for their removal from the budget.

He also highlighted missed opportunities in infrastructure spending, pointing out that the P1.2 trillion flood control budget from 2022 to 2025 could have built 60,000 evacuation centers or 300,000 classrooms.

As the principal author of the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, Go pressed the DPWH on the slow rollout of evacuation centers, noting that only 13 of 32 planned facilities for 2025 have been completed.

He also raised concerns about unfinished and non-operational Super Health Centers, citing delayed Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) between the DOH and DPWH as a key cause. He urged faster coordination with LGUs to avoid “white elephant” projects.

In his capacity as Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, Go also advocated for the repair and prioritization of sports facilities and dormitories for national athletes, saying these are more beneficial than underused flood control projects.

Lastly, Go pointed to inequitable regional allocation in infrastructure funding and called for fair distribution across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, reiterating former President Duterte’s policy of balanced national development.

In response, Dizon vowed to implement reforms and submitted to the Senate’s oversight, affirming President Marcos’ directive to prioritize effective, corruption-free infrastructure projects.