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#philippinessenate #floodcontrol #imeemarcos
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Tuesday opened its inquiry into alleged anomalies in multibillion-peso flood control projects, with senators citing reports of “ghost projects,” substandard works, and the concentration of contracts among a few favored contractors.

Committee chairperson Senator Rodante Marcoleta said the motu proprio investigation, dubbed “Philippines Under Water,” was prompted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent disclosure that at least 15 contractors cornered a disproportionate share of flood control projects worth around PHP100 billion.

“It’s time to find out and analyze the truth behind the anomalies surrounding the contracts allocated for flood control. Enough with the circling and diverting from the real problem,” Marcoleta said.

“The root of the issue before us boils down to rampant corruption in government. It’s like a cancer slowly destroying our country. Records will show that billions are spent every year, but lives and properties are still lost due to failures in flood control,” he added.

Stay tuned for live coverage and updates from the ongoing Senate investigation.

#live #philippines #floodcontrol #philippinessenate #imeemarcos #news18 #news18live

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00:00Pero, hindi pa rito nagtatapos, Mr. President.
00:04Kakatayan pa ang budget para sa mga lagay, commissions, SOPs, at iba-iba pang terminong binubuo para sa shares ng mga korak.
00:17Sa mga halos magkakaparehong impormasyon na aming nakalap, ganito kagarapal ang sistema sa hatian ng isang maanumalyang proyekto.
00:278% to 10% para sa mga opisyal ng DPWH.
00:33Swerte na daw kung pumayag ang district engineer na 6% lamang ang parte niya.
00:40May ekstra 2% to 3% pa na parte ang district engineering office kung may sosobra sa contractor's profit.
00:48Nakumpute na rin kasi ng district engineering office ang tutubuin ng contractor mula sa project at sinisiguro na nila
00:57na sosobra ito sa allowable profit para mayroon pa silang kukubrahin.
01:04Ang tawag nila rito, reseta.
01:06Reseta dahil ang presyo na itinakda ng district engineering office ay nakasulat at napag-desisyonan na.
01:14Para ang gamot, Mr. President, lulunokin na lang ng contractor.
01:205.6% para sa mga miyembro ng Beach and Awards Committee or BAC.
01:270.5% to 1% para sa COA.
01:31Mr. President, meron pa ngayon tinatawag na passing through or parking fee na aabot sa katumbas na 5% to 6% ng pondo.
01:41Ito ang itinuturing na royalty, ang tawag sa lagay na ibinibigay sa politikong may kontrol sa distrito kung saan iimplementa o itatayo ang proyekto.
01:54Lo and behold, Mr. President, 20 to 25% ang karaniwang napupunta sa funder o project proponent na politiko.
02:05Mr. President, ang matitirang pondo para sa pagpapatayo ng proyekto ay napakaswerte ng umabot sa 40% o 40 milyon pesos alisunod sa ating halimbawang 100 milyong pisong pondo para sa proyekto.
02:24Mr. President, there is an evident pattern of this nasty distribution of public funds among crooks.
02:31Ito ay base sa mga case studies na aming pinuntahan at mususing inimbestigahan sa ibat-ibang dako ng bansa,
02:41particular sa isyo ng flood control.
02:44Hindi na namin sinama sa aking presentasyon ang mga naikutan at ibinunyag na ng Pangulo.
02:50Ang malinaw na malinaw.
02:54Halos pare-pareho ang pattern kung paano minamasaker ng mga kawatan ang pondo ng bayan.
03:03Nauna na po itong inuulat ng ating Pangulo noong nakarang linggo.
03:07Nambanggitin niya ang mga items na pare-pareho ang contract cost sa kabila ng pagkakaiba-iba ng specs, disenyo at haba ng proyekto.
03:18Panorin po natin ang video.
03:22Pag sinabi, may limampung proyekto, pare-pareho, 150 milyon lahat.
03:30Pare-pareho, pare-pareho lahat. Imposible yan.
03:33It is impossible for one barangay, even if they are the next barangay,
03:38to have the exact same project to the exact same amount with the exact same contractor. Imposible yan.
03:46Sa parlance po na ang nakakaalam lamang ay ang mga kasali sa gulangan sa pondo.
03:53Ito po ang tinatawag na distinct.
03:57Distinct ang mga budget items na makikita sa General Appropriations Act at awarded contracts na may pare-parehong halaga
04:05para sa magkakalapit man o magkakalayo na proyekto.
04:10Distinct dahil ayon sa aming mga informants, sa loob ng DPWH at kunumpirma ng ilang contractors,
04:17coded na budget ito para mayroong pagkakakilanlan ang mga quote-unquote may-ari ng proyekto.
04:25Para sa mga nakakaunawa, ang ibig sabihin po ay akin yan.
04:33Sa Bulacan First Engineering District na pinumumunuan na magkasunod na tinanggal sa pwesto
04:38na sinadating District Engineer Henry Alcantara at ang pumulit sa kanya na si Bryce Hernandez.
04:47Napag-alaman naming talamak ang ganitong kalakaran.
04:50Bakit? Sapagat ayon sa mga contractors at DPWH officials na nakipag-usap mismo sa akin at aking staff,
05:01ang dalawang ito ay halos pareho lang ang pagmamahal sa pera.
05:07Napabalita pa nga kamakailan na ang isa sa kanila ay nakakapagpatalo ng daang milyon sa isang kasino dito sa Metro Manila.
05:17Mr. President, sa District Engineering Office na ito, sa ilalim ng pamumuno ng dalawang nabanggit na opisyal,
05:26para sa tuong 2024, 28 proyekto ang pare-pareho ang pondo kahit magkakaiba ang specs, disenyo at haba.
05:37Distinct.
05:38Babalikan po natin, Mr. President, mamaya ang lalawigan ng Bulacan,
05:44na aming maituturing na pinaka-notorious pagdating sa anomalya ng flood control projects base sa aming mga findings.
05:54Unahin muna natin ang kaso ng questionabling flood control project sa lalawigan ng Pampanga.
06:00Four years now, the Riverbank Mitigation Project in Kandating, Arayat, has been the face of a failed flood control project.
06:12Tuwing umuulan, panay ang aray ng mga taga-arayat sa pag-apaw ng ilog na hindi mapigilan ng flood control.
06:21Mr. President, binisita ng aking mga staff ang arayat nitong nakaraang dalawang linggo lamang,
06:28na tinamaan din ng hagupit ni Emong, at nagdulot na naman ng pagguho ng ilang bahagi nito.
06:36Take note, Mr. President, katatapos lang ng panibagong repair nito noong lang Hunyo ng kasalukuyang taon, 2025.
06:45Sa itsura ng structure, tila baga hindi binibigyan pansin ng gobyerno ang kandating.
06:53Pero kung babalikan natin isang taon pa lamang ang nakakaraan, o noong Agosto 2024,
07:00may gumuho ng flood control matapos mahagupit ng monsoon.
07:05Mr. President, a review of the budget books shows that we started funding the construction,
07:13rehabilitation of slope protection along Pampanga River,
07:17kandating arayat, Pampanga, way back in 2018.
07:22Let me give a rundown.
07:23In 2018, we already spent 20 million pesos on a project for the construction,
07:32rehabilitation of slope protection along Pampanga River.
07:35kandating section, arayat.
07:38Kalaunan, nasira.
07:40Since then, it has become a cycle, Mr. President.
07:45We used the people's tax money to repair it in 2023
07:48for a contract price of 91.6 million pesos.
07:54It was repaired again by another year's tax money in 2024.
08:00This time, not once, but twice.
08:0591.8 million for phase one, and 91.4 million for phase two.
08:11Take note, 20 million pesos lang ito sa una at original construction.
08:16If the original construction cost was only 20 million pesos in 2018,
08:23why did the repair cost balloon to 350 percent or 91 million in 2023
08:31and another 183 million pesos in 2024 or an overall increase of 815 percent?
08:40Aba, at nawili na ang ponder ng Edmar Reconstruction
08:45na siyang palaging nananalong contractor sa kandating Araya at Pampanga
08:50noong 2023 at 2024.
08:54Naglagay pa ulit ng 100 million pesos ngayong taon.
08:59Buti na lang, pinigil ng Malacanang ang pag-release ng pondo.
09:03Distinct then, but in a very distinct way.
09:09As I mentioned earlier, all of these were awarded to the same mighty contractor,
09:15Edmarie Construction and Trading.
09:18In total, Edmarie bagged 274.8 billion pesos in taxpayer's money
09:25for the rehabilitation and repair of kandating
09:29na tila hindi nagsasawa sa kare-repair.
09:34Hindi lang po yan ang isyo ng Edmarie.
09:36How can this contractor, with an unusual share of controversies,
09:41including being delisted as...
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10:00Ulit ang pag-repair,
10:01ngunit ganito pa rin ang kalagayan sa kandating Araya.
10:07Araya ko po.
10:10Mr. President,
10:11magtungo naman tayo sa Hilagan Luzon,
10:14particular sa probinsya ng La Union,
10:16kung saan matatagpuan ang bawang river basin,
10:20na kung saan matindi ang congressional insertions.
10:24Sa tulong ng mga concerned groups and individuals,
10:28naapansin namin ang bilang ng flood control projects
10:31na bagamat wala sa National Expenditure Program noong 2024,
10:36ay biglang tumubong parang kabute
10:38sa General Appropriations Act ng nakaraang taon.
10:42Halimbawa,
10:44ang construction of flood control structure
10:46along bawang river basin,
10:49dalawang items lamang
10:50na may tig-50 million pesos
10:52ang nakalaan sa bahagi ng Naguilian.
10:56Samantalang,
10:57ang bayan ng bawang
10:58ay wala pong proyekto
11:00sa National Expenditure Program.
11:03Abracadabra,
11:05sa naipasang
11:062024
11:07General Appropriations Act,
11:09nagkaroon ng sampung items
11:12na nahahati
11:13mula Package 1
11:15hanggang Package 10
11:16na may tig-98 million pesos
11:20ang biglang umusbong
11:21para sa Naguilian.
11:23Sa kabuuan,
11:25ang sampung packages na ito
11:27ay umabot
11:28sa P967.4 million pesos,
11:33halos isang bilyong piso
11:34kumpara sa dalawang
11:36tig-50 million labang
11:37sa 2024 NEP.
11:40Sa bawang naman,
11:42pitong packages
11:43ang lumitaw
11:43na may magkakaparehong halaga,
11:4789 million pesos each.
11:49Sa kabuuan,
11:51ito ay nagkakahalaga
11:53ng 623 million pesos
11:56mula zero.
11:58Zero budget
11:59sa NEP
12:00ng 2024.
12:01Sa aming masinsing pagkalkal,
12:05ay natuklasan naming
12:06iisang kontraktor
12:08ang naawordan
12:09ng lahat
12:10ng packages na ito,
12:12ang Silver Wolves
12:13Construction Corporation.
12:16Distinct pa rin,
12:17distinguished colleagues.
12:19Ito ang nabanggit kong
12:21pork barrel insertions
12:22kanina,
12:23Mr. President.
12:24Meron pang mas matinding
12:25congressional insertions
12:27ipapakita ko sa inyo.
12:28Baco at Nauhan,
12:30Oriental Mindoro.
12:32Aguila
12:32congressional insertions.
12:36Mr. President,
12:37when flood control projects
12:38failed to stand
12:39against the tides,
12:41we are compelled
12:42to question
12:42the feasibility
12:44of the project
12:44and the technical
12:46capacity
12:47of the contractor.
12:48but what if
12:51an elected congressman
12:52or a political group
12:53claims ownership
12:54of the project?
12:56Is it not both
12:57proper
12:58and necessary
12:59to scrutinize
13:00their motivations
13:01and examine
13:02the extent
13:03of their involvement
13:04and perhaps
13:05to hold them
13:07responsible?
13:07This explains
13:09the logic
13:10why I am
13:12insisting
13:12to make transparent
13:14the identities
13:15of the proponents
13:16of the insertions
13:17from the House gab,
13:19Senate version,
13:20and all the way
13:22to the bicam.
13:23If they claim
13:24something as theirs,
13:25should they not also
13:26be accountable
13:27for its failures?
13:29Mr. President,
13:30I raise the question
13:31because of the evident
13:33congressional banners
13:34we observe
13:35alongside many projects
13:36in Nauhan
13:37and Baco,
13:39both in Oriental Mindoro.
13:42Bilang halimbawa,
13:43in Barangay Burbuli,
13:45Baco, Oriental Mindoro,
13:47one banner reads,
13:50congressional project,
13:52construction of
13:53flood control structure
13:54along Barangay Burbuli,
13:56Alag River,
13:57Baco, Oriental Mindoro,
13:59Aguila,
14:00aksyon,
14:01gobyerno,
14:02at inisiyatibo
14:03sa larangang
14:04legislatura.
14:06This project,
14:08awarded to
14:08Silver Wolves
14:09Construction Corporation
14:11again,
14:12is worth
14:1395 million pesos.
14:15It is an ongoing project
14:17to be completed
14:18in December 2025.
14:21This project
14:22is so important
14:23that it can turn stones
14:25and get funding approval
14:26under the
14:28unprogrammed appropriations
14:30of the 2024
14:31of the 2024
14:32national budget.
14:35This
14:35prides us to dig deeper
14:37into the web
14:37and,
14:39as they say,
14:40social media
14:41is a great resource
14:42of evidence,
14:44which lawyers
14:45fondly call
14:46testimony
14:47against
14:48self-interest.
14:50In one Facebook post,
14:52we discovered
14:53a congressional
14:54representative
14:54showcasing his
14:56mid-term
14:56accomplishment report,
14:58covering the period
14:59from June 30,
15:002022
15:01to December 31,
15:032023.
15:05He openly
15:06lists projects,
15:08hold your breath,
15:10funded by
15:11his office.
15:13I repeat,
15:14funded by
15:15his office,
15:17including flood control
15:18and river protection
15:20initiatives.
15:20From Aguilas,
15:23Baco,
15:23let us travel
15:24to Aguilas,
15:25Nauhan,
15:26also in
15:27Oriental,
15:28Mindoro.
15:29Mr. President,
15:30Nauhan is among
15:31the beneficiaries
15:32of 3.6 billion
15:34pesos worth
15:34of projects,
15:36while Baco
15:36proudly lists
15:38807 million,
15:40all of which
15:41is attributed
15:41to and
15:43on up
15:43by the office
15:44of the congressman.
15:47Hindi lamang po
15:48itong maswerteng
15:48na ponduhan,
15:49isa pa sa pinagmamalaki
15:51na mapag-angking
15:52congressman
15:53ay ang flood control
15:54structure
15:55sa Butas River
15:57upstream,
15:58Barangay San Jose,
15:59Nauhan,
16:00Oriental,
16:01Mindoro.
16:02We took time
16:03to visit the project,
16:04Mr. President,
16:05which he referred to
16:06as a national
16:07project
16:08through
16:09congressional
16:10allocation.
16:12The project
16:12was awarded
16:13to Rayman
16:14Builders
16:15for 231
16:17million pesos
16:18at tinugot
16:19pa rin ito
16:20sa unprogrammed
16:22funds.
16:22Dalawang projects
16:23na po ito
16:24ng Agila
16:24na natukla
16:25sa naming
16:26mula sa
16:27unprogrammed
16:27funds,
16:28isa sa
16:29barangay
16:29Burbuli
16:30at isa
16:31sa barangay
16:32San Jose.
16:33Sa tagol ko
16:34na rin pong
16:35nagbubusisi
16:35ng pambasang
16:36budget,
16:37ang pagkakaalam
16:38ko po,
16:39masalimuot
16:40ang proseso
16:41ng paggamit
16:42ng unprogrammed
16:43appropriations
16:44under
16:45the
16:45Special
16:46Purpose
16:47Fund
16:47para
16:48mag-augment
16:49sa ilang
16:50items
16:50under
16:51the
16:51regular
16:52budget.
16:54Hindi po
16:54madaling
16:54ma-access
16:55ito.
16:56Dapat
16:56A,
16:58may excess
16:59revenue
16:59collections
17:00or B,
17:01new
17:02revenue
17:02collections
17:03or C,
17:04those arising
17:05from new
17:06tax or
17:06non-tax
17:07sources
17:08or D,
17:09approved
17:10loans
17:10para sa
17:11foreign
17:12assisted
17:12projects.
17:13Mahaba
17:14din
17:14ang
17:14requirements
17:15dito,
17:16Mr.
17:16President.
17:17So,
17:18ano kaya
17:19ang taglay
17:20na agimat
17:20ni Congressman?
17:22What gives,
17:23Mr.
17:23President,
17:24kung saan
17:25may multimillion
17:26projects,
17:27dumadapo
17:28ang agila,
17:30pero lubog pa rin
17:31sa baha
17:32ang nadadapuan
17:33ng agila.
17:36Isa lamang po
17:37ito sa napakaraming
17:38banners at social
17:39media posts
17:39ng congressional
17:41insertions
17:41ng mga
17:42politiko
17:43na naglipana
17:44sa ibat-ibang
17:45bahagi
17:46ng bansa.
17:48Mr.
17:48President,
17:50ituloy na po
17:50natin
17:51ang diskusyon
17:51tungkol sa
17:52aming mga
17:52observasyon
17:53sa lalawigan
17:54ng Oriental
17:55Mindoro.
17:57Without
17:57taking anything
17:58away from
17:59the good
17:59but suffering
18:00people of
18:01this province
18:01on the
18:02legitimacy
18:02of their
18:03needs
18:03due to
18:04its high
18:05flood
18:05susceptibility,
18:07I want
18:08to speak
18:08of the
18:09billions
18:09of appropriations
18:11for flood
18:11control projects
18:12poured into
18:13this province
18:14in Luzon's
18:15eastern flank.
18:17Mr.
18:17President,
18:18when someone
18:19gets the
18:20largest share
18:21of the pie,
18:22we naturally
18:23ask why,
18:24especially if
18:26such a price
18:27comes from
18:28the taxpayer's
18:29tab.
18:30In Oriental
18:30Mindoro,
18:31for example,
18:32we wonder
18:33why among
18:34its 14
18:35municipalities,
18:36one town
18:37tops the
18:38bill.
18:39Sa pagsalon
18:39ng buhus
18:40ng pondo,
18:41nauna
18:41ang
18:42Nauhan.
18:43Nauhan Oriental
18:45Mindoro
18:45received a
18:46sweeping
18:4655%
18:48of the
18:48province's
18:492025
18:50flood
18:51control
18:51budget.
18:53Katumbas
18:53ito ng
18:5410
18:54bilyong
18:55piso
18:55para sa
18:56flood
18:57control
18:57projects
18:57ng bayan
18:58ng
18:59Nauhan
19:00Palamang.
19:01Fair
19:01enough.
19:02Giving
19:03the
19:03coastal
19:03topography
19:04of the
19:05municipality,
19:06which
19:07includes
19:07its lowland
19:08plains
19:08and
19:09extensive
19:09river
19:10systems
19:10such as
19:11Mag-asawang
19:12tubig
19:13na
19:13Uhan
19:13and its
19:14people
19:15badly
19:16need
19:17blood
19:17control
19:18interventions.
19:19However,
19:20the magnitude
19:21of its
19:21budget
19:22allocation
19:22in the
19:23last
19:23three
19:23years
19:23alone,
19:24amounting
19:25to
19:25approximately
19:2619
19:27billion
19:28pesos
19:29and nearly
19:30doubling
19:30each
19:30year,
19:31raises
19:31concerns
19:32regarding
19:33Nauhan's
19:34furious
19:35case.
19:36Even
19:37before
19:37the
19:37provincial
19:38governor
19:38of Oriental
19:39Mindoro
19:39blew the
19:40whistle,
19:41so to
19:41speak,
19:41on what
19:42he alleged
19:42as
19:43anomalous
19:43flood
19:44control
19:44projects,
19:45we had
19:46already
19:46done
19:46done.
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