'40 percent only': Lacson cites evident pattern of 'nasty' distribution of public funds in ghost flood control projects

Manila Bulletin

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Wednesday, August 20 that only about forty (40) percent of funding for flood control projects are utilized for implementation.  Lacson, in his privilege speech entitled “Flooded Gates of Corruption,” bared this as he slammed the “evident pattern of nasty distribution” of public funds in ghost flood control projects.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/20/40-percent-only-lacson-cites-evident-pattern-of-nasty-distribution-of-public-funds-in-ghost-flood-control-projects  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin   Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues, I rise on a matter of personal and collective privilege

00:07to uncover schemes surrounding a systemic problem in our country,

00:13one that submerges our nation not just in floodwaters but in deep depths of corruption.

00:22In the course of our research and investigation, we encountered several words.

00:27Their meanings we could not find in the dictionary.

00:32So, we looked somewhere else.

00:35Alas, we found them in the corruptionary.

00:41We have a saying, a leaky roof today is a ruined home tomorrow.

00:47Thankfully, President Bongbong Marcos himself has taken decisive steps

00:51to plug the leaky roof as a determined follow-through on his striking rebuke and appeal to consents

01:00with his resounding admonition,

01:03Mahiya naman kayo.

01:05Wasting no time after his stern warning during the last Sona against those who misuse public funds,

01:13Malacanang established and launched the Sumbong sa Pangulo website last week.

01:20I commend and sincerely thank the President for this open-source website.

01:26Not only does it open the public a direct line to the President

01:29to report anomalous flood control projects in their midst,

01:33but in my case, including that of my staff,

01:37the website makes our investigative work a lot easier.

01:42For one, the coordinates that the website provides showed us a faster way

01:48to find shady, even ghost projects.

01:53Last week, the President took aim.

01:57Today, I am pulling the trigger.

02:00Para sa ating mga kababayan,

02:04nakatutok ang aking presentasyon sa araw na ito

02:06sa mga flood control projects pa lamang.

02:10Hindi pa rito kasama ang iba't ibang,

02:13iba pang mga infrastructure projects na punong-puno rin ng anomalya.

02:18Isa-isahin natin ang mga impormasyong aming nakalap

02:21sa mga nakalipas na linggo

02:23mula sa aming sariling pag-aaral at pagsasaliksik

02:27na supportado ng mga impormasyon mula mismo

02:31sa mga DPWH officials at insiders,

02:35pati ilang contractors,

02:37kasama na rin ang open sources.

02:40Una,

02:42ang kalakaran ng ilang mga kontratista

02:44at mga kasabot nila sa gobyerno

02:46na sa paghahati-atiya ng pondo,

02:50kasama na rin ang mga termino o codes

02:53patungkol sa kanilang modus.

02:56Pangalawa,

02:57ang mga palpak na proyekto

02:59dahil sa paggamit ng substandard na materyales

03:02kasama na ang mga kontratistang

03:05nasa likod nito.

03:07Pangatlo,

03:08ang mga proyektong lantarang inaangkin

03:11bilang congressional insertions.

03:14Pangapat,

03:15ang patuloy na pagbaha

03:17sa iba't ibang lugar

03:18na narating namin kahit taon-taon

03:22ay paulit-ulit na binubuhusan

03:24ng bilyon-bilyong pondo.

03:28At ang pinakahuli,

03:29ang mga tinatawag ng Pangulo

03:31na guni-guni

03:33o ghost projects

03:35na aming nahukay.

03:37For over 15 years,

03:39from 2011 to 2025,

03:41we appropriated more than

03:431.9 trillion pesos

03:45for flood control management program

03:48under the budget

03:49of the Department of Public Works

03:52and Highways alone.

03:54Sa loob lamang ng tatlong taon,

03:56mula 2023 hanggang 2025,

03:59higit 1 trillion pesos

04:01ang ating inilaan

04:02sa ilalim ng tatlong

04:04na ipasang budget measures

04:05para sa flood control,

04:08halos 53%

04:10ng kabuoang pondo

04:11sa loob ng labin-limang taon.

04:13When we are speaking

04:16in trillions of pesos,

04:17we should expect our streets

04:19and low-lying communities

04:20to be flood-free

04:22when the rains pour.

04:24Gayunpaman,

04:25sa paghagupit

04:26ng magkakasunod na habagat

04:28at mga bagyong

04:30Krising, Dante,

04:32at Emo,

04:33ilang linggo pa lamang

04:34ang nakalipas,

04:36kasamang winasak

04:37at inanod

04:37ng baha

04:38ang bilyon-bilyong pisong

04:40halaga

04:41ng mga flood control projects

04:43na halos bago

04:45at kakukumpleto pa lamang

04:47na dapat sana

04:48ay nagbigay proteksyon

04:49sa ating mga kabahayan

04:51at komunidad.

04:53Corruption has been

04:55so pervasive

04:55and systemic

04:56that doing so

04:58is like

04:59a piece of cake.

05:01And when I say

05:02piece of cake,

05:03I mean that funds

05:04for a specific project

05:06are divided,

05:08shares vary,

05:09depending on greed,

05:11big parts

05:12swallowed by corrupt

05:13operators,

05:14both from the public

05:15and private sectors,

05:18leaving only crumbs

05:19for actual project

05:20implementation.

05:22May ilanpangang

05:23proyekto

05:23hindi malang

05:25nagtira

05:26para sa taong bayan.

05:28Ang tawag

05:29ng Pangulong Marcos

05:29dito,

05:31guni-guni

05:31o ghost projects.

05:34Mr. President,

05:35let me illustrate

05:36an example

05:36of the pie-sharing

05:38in a severely

05:39corrupted project

05:40na ayos kumbigyan

05:42din na hindi

05:43ito representasyon

05:44ng lahat

05:45ng kalakaran

05:46sa blood control

05:47projects

05:47sa buong Pilipinas.

05:49While

05:49the pillaging

05:51pattern

05:51is relatively

05:52the same,

05:54the pie-sharing

05:54varies

05:55depending

05:56on the level

05:57of greed.

05:59Ihiwalay muna

06:00natin

06:00ang mga regular

06:01o legal

06:02na buwis

06:02at insurances

06:03na automatic

06:05na binabawas

06:06sa mga proyekto.

06:085%

06:09value-added tax,

06:102%

06:11withholding tax,

06:131%

06:14para sa

06:14bonds

06:15and insurances

06:16at 1%

06:17materials testing.

06:20Ibawas na rin

06:20natin

06:21ang allowable

06:22contractor's profit

06:23na

06:248 to

06:2510%.

06:26Halimbawa,

06:28sa 100 million

06:29piso na pondo

06:31para sa

06:31flood control

06:32project,

06:33kung ibabawas

06:34ang maximum

06:34allowable

06:35deductions,

06:36nasa

06:3682 million

06:37ang matitira

06:38para sa

06:39proyekto.

06:40Pero,

06:41hindi pa rito

06:42nagtatapos,

06:43Mr. President.

06:44Kakatayan pa

06:45ang budget

06:46para sa mga

06:47lagay,

06:48commissions,

06:50SOPs

06:50at iba-iba

06:52pang terminong

06:52binubuo

06:53para sa

06:54shares

06:54ng mga

06:55korap.

06:56Sa mga

06:57halos

06:58magkakaparehong

06:59informasyon

06:59na aming

07:00nakalap,

07:01ganito

07:01kagarapal

07:02ang sistema

07:03sa hatian

07:04ng isang

07:05maanumalyang

07:07proyekto.

07:088 to

07:0910%

07:09para sa

07:10mga

07:11opisyal

07:11ng

07:11DPWH.

07:13Swerte na

07:14daw

07:14kung

07:15pumayag

07:15ang

07:15district

07:16engineer

07:16na 6%

07:18lamang

07:18ang

07:18parte niya.

07:20May

07:20extra

07:202 to

07:213%

07:21pa

07:22na

07:22parte

07:23ang

07:23district

07:24engineering

07:24office

07:25kung

07:25may

07:25so

07:26sobra

07:26sa

07:27contractor's

07:28profit.

07:29Nakcompute

07:29na rin

07:30kasi

07:30ng

07:30district

07:30engineering

07:31office

07:31ang

07:32tutubuin

07:33ng

07:33contractor

07:33mula

07:34sa

07:34project

07:35at

07:36sinisiguro

07:36na nila

07:37na

07:37sosobra

07:38ito

07:38sa

07:39allowable

07:39profit

07:40para mayroon

07:41pa silang

07:42kukubrahin.

07:44Ang

07:44tawag

07:44nila

07:44rito

07:45reseta.

07:47Reseta

07:47dahil

07:48ang presyo

07:48na

07:49itinakda

07:49na itinakda

07:49ng

07:50district

07:50engineering

07:51office

07:51ay

07:52nakasulat

07:53at

07:53napag

07:54desisyonan

07:54na.

07:55Parang

07:56gamot

07:56Mr.

07:56President

07:57lulunokin

07:58na lang

07:58ng

07:59contractor.

08:005.6

08:025 to

08:026%

08:03para sa

08:04mga

08:04miyembro

08:05ng

08:05Beach

08:05and

08:05Awards

08:05Committee

08:06or

08:06BAC.

08:070.5

08:08to

08:091%

08:09para

08:10sa

08:10COA.

08:11Mr.

08:12President

08:12meron

08:13pa

08:13ngayong

08:14tinatawag

08:14na

08:14passing

08:15through

08:15or

08:15parking

08:16fee

08:16na

08:17aabot

08:17sa

08:18katumbas

08:18na

08:185 to

08:196%

08:20ng

08:20pondo.

08:21Ito

08:22ang

08:22tinuturing

08:23na

08:23royalty

08:24ang

08:25tawag

08:25sa

08:26lagay

08:26na

08:26ibinibigay

08:27sa

08:28politikong

08:28may

08:28control

08:29sa

08:29distrito

08:30kung

08:30saan

08:31iimplementa

08:32o

08:32itatayo

08:33ang

08:33proyekto.

08:35Lo

08:35and

08:35behold,

08:36Mr.

08:36President,

08:3720 to

08:3825%

08:39ang

08:39karaniwang

08:40na

08:40pupunta

08:41sa

08:41ponder

08:42o

08:43project

08:44proponent

08:44na

08:44politiko.

08:45Mr.

08:46President,

08:47ang matitirang

08:48pondo

08:48para sa

08:49pagpapatayo

08:50ng

08:50proyekto

08:50ay

08:51napakaswerte

08:52ng

08:52umabot

08:53sa

08:5340%

08:54o

08:5540

08:55million

08:55pesos

08:56alisunod

08:57sa ating

08:58halimbawang

08:58100

08:59million

09:00pisong

09:00pondo

09:01para

09:02sa

09:02proyekto.

09:04Mr.

09:04President,

09:05there is

09:06an

09:06evident

09:06pattern

09:07of this

09:08nasty

09:09distribution

09:09of

09:09public

09:10funds

09:10among

09:11crooks.

09:11Ito

09:12ay

09:12base

09:13sa

09:13mga

09:13case

09:13studies

09:14na

09:14aming

09:15pinuntahan

09:15at

09:16mususing

09:16inimbestigahan

09:17sa

09:18ibat-ibang

09:19dako

09:19ng

09:20bansa,

09:21particular

09:22sa

09:22issue

09:23ng

09:23flood

09:23control.

09:25Hindi

09:25na

09:25namin

09:25sinama

09:26sa

09:26aking

09:26presentasyon

09:27ang

09:28mga

09:28naikutan

09:29at

09:29ibinunyag

09:29na

09:30ng

09:30Pangulo.

09:31Ang

09:31malinaw

09:32na

09:32malinaw.

09:34Halos

09:34pare-pareho

09:35ang

09:36pattern

09:36kung

09:37paano

09:37minamasaker

09:39ng

09:39mga

09:39kawatan

09:40ang

09:40pondo

09:41ng

09:41bayan.

09:43Nauna

09:43na po

09:44itong

09:44inuulat

09:44ng

09:45ating

09:45Pangulo

09:45nung

09:45nakarang

09:46linggo.

09:47Nambanggitin

09:48niya

09:48ang

09:48mga

09:49items

09:49na

09:49pare-pareho

09:51ang

09:51contract

09:51cost

09:52sa

09:52kabila

09:53ng

09:53pagkakaiba-iba

09:54ng

09:55specs,

09:56disenyo

09:57at

09:57haba

09:58ng

09:58proyekto.

10:10nang

10:10nana

10:12ng

10:24nana

10:25pass

10:25t

10:26w

10:26nana

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