President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has once again expressed outrage over failed infrastructure works, this time targeting two flood control projects in Benguet worth nearly ₱400 million that turned out to be ineffective, if not entirely useless.
During an inspection in Tuba, Benguet, Marcos called the ₱260-million rock shed along Kennon Road “useless” after its slope protection collapsed, leaving boulders crashing onto the road. “Here is the problem: This ₱260 million project [is] useless. It’s like the government threw money into the river. Useless,” he said, stressing that repairs could cost as much as ₱500 million.
The President also inspected a rock netting project built by the same contractor, 3K Rock Engineering, which cost over ₱114 million. He blasted the project for poor execution and raised suspicions of overpricing, adding that rock netting has long been associated with corruption and is already banned.
What makes the issue more controversial is that 3K Rock Engineering’s general manager, engineer Francis Cuyop, ran for Congress in 2025 under Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. Although he lost, Cuyop remains politically tied to the President’s own party. Records show that from 2018 to 2023, the company secured 43 DPWH projects amounting to ₱1.55 billion.
Kennon Road remains closed due to safety hazards, forcing motorists onto alternate routes and leaving local businesses suffering. The Tuba local government estimates economic losses of up to 35 percent since the road closure. “So it’s not only the physical damage that you can see, but it is also the damage to the economy. It is also the damage to the people’s livelihood,” Marcos said.
The President vowed to pursue accountability regardless of political affiliation, warning contractors and officials involved in anomalous projects that they could face charges of economic sabotage, a nonbailable offense punishable by life imprisonment. “If there’s one thing [that I promise], I will not leave this office until it (the government) fixes this issue,” he declared.
As of writing, Cuyop has not responded to media inquiries regarding the allegations.
