00:00Contractors snubbed the Senate probe drawing sharp rebuke from lawmakers from ghost projects to substandard materials.
00:07Senators warn they will not hesitate to cut billions from the 2026 budget if failures persist.
00:13Daniel Manalastas has the details.
00:16The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee wants to subpoena the contractors who were absent during the investigation over the alleged anomalies in the flawed control projects.
00:27Out of 15 invited, only 7 were represented during the hearing.
00:34Marami yan sa kanila, Sen. Jingoy, nagkasakit lahat. Iba siguro ni Nervyos.
00:42They have to come up with a reasonable answer.
00:46Hindi ko yung may sakit, may nauna, parahong *** itong committee.
00:52P544 billion na pinag-uusapan natin.
00:58Some Senators issued a warning in light of the deliberation also regarding the 2026 budget.
01:04Some flood control projects seem to have been failures.
01:08That's why Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian warned,
01:11Nakita ko ho this 2026 budget, meron na naman P274 billion pesos for flood control.
01:19Hindi ho kami magdadalawang isip, i-zero ho ito at ilagay nilang ho sa mga eskwelahan kung ang itong flood control ay magiging ampaw lang na flood control.
01:28Hindi ko alam, Mr. Chairman, kung paano natin kayang harapin yung taong bayan na gigising sa umaga, lulusong sa baha.
01:36Panay, coco lumber, Diyos ko po, tsaka bato, yung cemento, yung cemento, mas manipis pa sa platito yung cemento.
01:45Senators also brought up the alleged ghost projects.
01:49Do you still believe that there are ghost projects there?
01:52There were, Your Honor, I think so.
01:56There were ghost projects in the municipalities of Kalumpit, Malolos, and Hagonoy in the province of Bulacan.
02:03Can you confirm this?
02:04Yes, Your Honor.
02:05And the contractor, allegedly, Wawaw Builders, correct?
02:13That's correct, Your Honor.
02:15In Bulacan alone, Wawaw Builders said 85 projects amounting to 5,971,800,000.
02:28That contractor was invited but was no show, while some of those contractors who attended couldn't escape the grilling of some Senators.
02:38Yung data is mali eh, kasi ang totoo, yung 414 projects na nakuha sa QM, totoo lang ha, is only 86 projects.
02:45Isang muna, sabi mo, hindi ka pa nagkapag-umpisa eh, sabi mo, hindi ka pa nagkapag-umpisa ng flood control projects.
02:55Gumawa na tayo ng flood control projects.
02:58O ngayon, gumawa ka na naman. Ano ba talaga yung totoo?
03:04Baka hindi ka makauwi sa araw na ito. Nagsisinungaling ka na naman eh.
03:07Meron akong hawak na martilyo rito, sinasabi ko sa iyo.
03:11Mr. Chair.
03:12Huwag kang tatawa-tawa, kasi hindi nakakatawa ito ah.
03:15Senator Erwin Turfo, meanwhile, questioned that some areas were part of the list of top provinces with flood control projects,
03:25but were not among the top in the list of flood-prone areas.
03:29Ano pong sinunod ho natin dito? Yung hazard mapping po ba? O sinunod natin yung politiko?
03:36As far as the national expenditure program that is submitted,
03:41these are equitably distributed amongst all the legislative and engineering districts.
03:47Bakit tayo magpupondurin sa lugar na ito kung hindi naman po binaba? It's a waste of money.
03:52Kasi sir, sabi for now, kahit kami nag-uusap ko sa dito, sa DPWH morang makikita ang pinakamayaman na opisyal sa ating bayan.
04:02It is expected that more hearings will be conducted.
04:06Daniel Manalastas from The National TV for a new and better Philippines.
