Wazzup Pilipinas!?
There is a recurring problem with certain allies of the previous administration: when corruption is the topic, they are quick to scream, "Investigate!" But the moment the paper trail leads back to 2016, they suddenly go quiet—as if the evidence is nothing more than a wet receipt crumpled in their pocket.
Let’s be clear: this is not a final court judgment. However, this is a matter of public accountability. In the timeline of our history, you cannot simply erase the "Duterte Years" as if they were a mere typo.
2016: Opening the Gates
When the Duterte administration took office in 2016, it coincided with a massive surge in infrastructure spending. Flood control became one of the largest components of public works. In the Philippines, where there is a massive budget, there must be massive questions. During a Senate hearing, contractor Sarah Discaya herself stated that while their bidding began earlier, their flood-control projects commenced "from 2016 onwards." This is not an allegation from political opponents; it is a timeline provided by the contractors themselves.
2018–2019: The Multi-Billion Peso Question
Between 2018 and 2019, former House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. publicly exposed an alleged ₱332 billion flood-control controversy. This included ₱213 billion in allocations from 2017–2018 and a proposed ₱119 billion for 2019. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at the time was led by Benjamin Diokno. While the DBM denied facilitating any scam, it was not mere gossip—it was a major public budget controversy that demands scrutiny.
The "Insertions" and the Figures Involved
In 2019, DPWH employees reportedly testified that then-DBM Undersecretary Amenah Pangandaman was involved in the reformatting or encoding process tied to ₱75 billion in questionable DPWH budget "insertions." Budget work is not merely clerical; it is an exercise of immense power. When your name surfaces in the process of questionable insertions, the questions are simple: What did you know? Who ordered it? Who approved it? And why did it get through?
The Culture of "No Fall"
One of the most disheartening aspects of our political system is the lack of genuine accountability. Benjamin Diokno went on to become the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Amenah Pangandaman continued to rise within the budget bureaucracy. Instead of facing consequences, some figures involved in major controversies seemed to receive "loyalty rewards." In 2020, even President Duterte himself admitted that the DPWH "reeks of corruption." The question remains: if they knew the house was infested with termites, why was the nest never dismantled?
Don't Develop Amnesia
As reports of ghost projects, substandard works, favored contractors, and suspicious bidding patterns continue to surface, we must not pretend these problems were born in the rain. The flooding has a source. There was a budget process, an approval chain, a release of funds, and officials who turned a blind eye while taxpayer money turned into kickbacks.
If we are serious about addressing flood control corruption, we cannot be selective. You cannot be angry at the flooding while being allergic to the timeline.
Follow the money. Follow the budget. Follow the appointments. Because in the end, while floods may recede, the receipts will always float to the surface—and corruption, no matter how deep it is buried in cement, will always reek once it gets wet.
Let’s not develop amnesia. The history of the budget is the history of our future.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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