President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has made it clear that allies found guilty of corruption in flood control projects will not be protected from accountability.
In an interview with GMA Integrated News, the President emphasized that identifying those responsible is essential to solving the problem. “You cannot fix the problem without knowing who to blame,” he said, stressing that someone must answer for the suffering brought by flawed or failed flood control projects.
When asked if his own allies would be subject to the same scrutiny, Marcos firmly replied, “Sorry na lang. Hindi na kita ka-alyado kung ganyan ang ginagawa mo, ayaw na kitang ka-alyado.”
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos had already warned government officials against misusing public funds, especially those intended for critical infrastructure like flood control. He has since directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to compile and release the list of all flood control projects from the past three years.
However, the President clarified that the DPWH will not be in charge of the audit to avoid conflicts of interest. Instead, the goal is to make the project records public so that the Commission on Audit or appropriate bodies can carry out a thorough review.
Marcos also disclosed that several contractors are under scrutiny and may face blacklisting. “We already have some names… mga contractor… na talagang kitang-kita na hindi magandang trabaho nila,” he said. These companies will be barred from securing future government contracts if found guilty.
“They know who they are,” Marcos added. “Mayroon naman diyan talagang mga notorious, matagal nang ganito ang ginagawa.”
He further assured the public that the anti-corruption push will not be limited to flood control projects. “It has to be evenly applied… kailangan lahat,” he said, warning that any official or partner involved in questionable practices will face consequences regardless of their position or connection.
