The term “unprogrammed appropriations,” or UAs, sounds innocent enough. But to politicians, public works officials and contractors, they are an opportunity for graft. UAs are standby funds sourced from new or excess government revenues and foreign loans. These revenues were not expected and so were not included in the regular budget. In 2023 and 2024,...
Tag: flood control projects
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Kabataan lawmaker says young Filipinos are ‘incredibly agitated’ by the theft of public funds and their future
For Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co, there was nothing performative in the halftime gig on Oct. 19 of the University of the Philippines (UP) Varsity Pep Squad and the De La Salle University (DLSU) Animo Squad in which they joined forces in assailing the massive corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. Co described...
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The government’s flood control projects are a systemic failure
A University of the Philippines (UP) study presented this conclusion after an examination of the havoc that flooding has wrought on the country’s infrastructure despite the humongous amounts of taxpayer money spent on flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). “Its flood control projects alone are supposed to abate damage,...
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AFP issues disinformation alert, urges Filipinos to ‘be discerning and uphold the truth’
With public anger growing over the corruption scandal involving government flood control projects, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has issued a “disinformation alert” declaring its stand against calls by some groups for its intervention. “These are clear attempts to sow doubt and erode trust in your Armed Forces. The AFP is a professional...
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‘Not an easy choice’: Magalong resigns from ICI
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong quit his post as a special adviser of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday, the same day Malacañang said his appointment is under review due to possible conflict of interest. His resignation was “not an easy choice, but one I believe is necessary,” Magalong said in a statement...
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I’m only happy when it rains
My wife and I woke up one Wednesday morning and I hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. It was raining and the air was cool. In the additional five minutes of sleep, otherwise known as negotiating with myself if I should get up or not, there was a quandary in my head: With...
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Who else benefited from the diversion of taxpayer money to graft-ridden public works projects?
The practice of diverting funds from education, health, poverty alleviation and other programs to graft-ridden public works projects, including flood control, also benefited congresspersons, senators, the Vice President and the President, who have seen their budgets surging over the past several years. This is the observation stated by the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) in...
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Alcantara able to substantiate his bombshell testimony, Lacson says
The turnaround of former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, now a “protected witness,” in the large-scale flood control anomalies came as a surprise during the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the corruption scandal on Tuesday. But for Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who chairs the Senate blue ribbon committee looking into the scandal, the...
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Return the money, jail the crooks: Vigorous protests again animate the motherland
The sun blazed all morning Sunday and rain poured intermittently starting in the early afternoon in Metro Manila. Still, attendance was vigorous at the twin protest rallies—dubbed “Baha sa Luneta” at Rizal Park and “Trillion Peso March” at the People Power Monument on Edsa—condemning the brazen corruption in flood control projects and demanding accountability. Attendance...
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Subdivision residents upset at discovery that Discaya firm bagged contract for bridge rehab project
ALABANG, Muntinlupa City — With the revocation of the project contractor’s license, residents of a private subdivision here are questioning the scheduled closure next month of a bridge to pave the way for retrofitting the South Luzon Expressway crossing. To their surprise and consternation, the residents of Pleasant Village learned just last week that the...