‘Flooded’ with Corruption

SINCE President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he called for a probe into anomalous flood control projects, large portions of the country have once again been battered by the southwest monsoon and a low-pressure area within the Philippine area of responsibility.

The result has been the near-routine suspension of government work and classes—even up to the tertiary level, often announced belatedly, leaving the public in constant disruption.

The Senate Probe and Its Legal Anchors

Last August 19, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee commenced its inquiry into the issue. In his opening statement, Committee Chair Senator Rodante Marcoleta cited potential violations of Republic Act (R.A.) 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, R.A. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), R.A. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials), and relevant procurement circulars of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The committee’s principal concern is the “concentration of flood control contracts among 15 contractors” that were named early last month by the President.

Yet to the public, such quarrels appear petty, diverting time and focus away from the legal and legislative imperatives of the inquiry. The ultimate issue is not merely legislative reform but the faithful execution of existing procurement and anti-graft laws.

This raises red flags on possible violations of competitive bidding requirements under Section 10 of the Government Procurement Reform Act, which mandates open and competitive bidding as the default mode of procurement.

Any deviation without sufficient justification could constitute not only technical malfeasance but also actionable graft under Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for giving “unwarranted benefits” to private entities to the prejudice of the government.

The probe also seeks to uncover possible conflicts of interest where lawmakers themselves, either through campaign donors or family businesses, benefit financially from awarded contracts.

Such a situation strike at the heart of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials’ proscription against financial or material interest in transactions requiring government approval.

Floods Amid Investigations

Even as these investigations unfold, Metro Manila reels from severe flooding. Last August 30, before the Senate’s resumption of its hearings, Quezon City received 141 millimeters of rain in a single hour—an amount surpassing Typhoon Ondoy’s peak rate of 90 mm per hour.

The Local Government Unit admitted that the drainage system was incapable of accommodating such rainfall, resulting in inundation even in areas not traditionally flood-prone.

While infrastructure inadequacy may partly explain the disaster, it underscores the higher cost of corruption. Every peso lost to rigged bidding or substandard materials translates to clogged waterways and submerged communities.

Political Squabbles and Public Distrust

Upon the resumption of the Senate probe, Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senator Francis Pangilinan pushed for an independent people’s commission to investigate flood control corruption, suggesting figures such as former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson. Their argument: independence ensures credibility where congressional self-policing may falter.

Chairman Marcoleta rejected the proposal, interpreting it as distrust toward Congress, and even challenged his colleagues to a debate on his competence.

Yet to the public, such quarrels appear petty, diverting time and focus away from the legal and legislative imperatives of the inquiry.

The ultimate issue is not merely legislative reform but the faithful execution of existing procurement and anti-graft laws.

Without genuine enforcement, the cycle of unfinished dikes, defective drainage, and congressional finger-pointing will continue. And as the rains remind us, nature does not wait for politics.