The Office of the Ombudsman is looking into whether corruption tainted flood control projects in Davao City, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told lawmakers Tuesday, describing the city as the “epicenter” of such spending under the previous administration.
The disclosure came as the House committee on appropriations reviewed the anti-graft office’s proposed P7 billion budget. Pressed by Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio on whether his office was pursuing flood control anomalies tied to the prior administration, Remulla confirmed the inquiry was underway while acknowledging its difficulty.
“Yes, but it is not really easy,” he said. “The epicenter of flood control before the Marcos administration is Davao City.”
Remulla pointed to what he called an entrenched “ecosystem of corruption” in the city that has proven difficult to break into. “It’s hard to get information, so many people don’t want to talk, but we don’t stop,” he told the panel.
Tinio interpreted the exchange as a direct statement, saying, “What was said is clear: Davao City is the epicenter of flood control corruption in the past administration.”
The Ombudsman moved to temper that reading. “I will not make that conclusion immediately; we are studying this, because what’s important is we see the evidence on the ground,” he said.
Speaking to reporters once the hearing concluded, Remulla explained that his use of “epicenter” referred to the scale of funding directed to the city rather than any finding of wrongdoing. “[Epicenter] of flood control, because there was a big budget in the past in Davao City in flood control, that’s what I know,” he said.
Asked to confirm that the label did not by itself point to corruption, Remulla left the question open: “Well, we will check out the flood control there.”
