MANILA, Philippines – After months of delay, the partial report of the Senate blue ribbon committee on the multi-billion flood control corruption is finally out.

Unable to formally release the panel’s report due to a lack of signatures, committee chair Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson presented the findings on the plenary floor through a privilege speech on Tuesday, May 5.

According to Lacson, the partial report was circulated among the committee members as early as February, but only seven senators signed as of May 5. It needs two more for the filing and sponsorship of a committee report.

Lacson said the committee found that the scandal was due to the large amount of money involved, weak controls, and complicit oversight, making the sector vulnerable to systematic plunder.

He described the scheme as a “network” involving actors at different levels of government, exploiting existing systems in the bureaucracy to bypass or weaken safeguards.

Lacson said the flood control corruption shows the evolution of the pork barrel system, with funds taking new forms such as “allocables,” “leadership funds,” and “insertions,” even extending to unprogrammed appropriations.

The case in the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, Lacson said, showed a “blueprint” of how funds are diverted through interconnected systems.

The impact, he added, goes beyond financial losses, affecting democratic institutions and public trust.

Subsequent developments, according to Lacson, support these findings. Several key witnesses — including former public works officials and a contractor — have been admitted to the Witness Protection Program.

Among them are former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former District Engineer Henry Alcantara, former NCR Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, and contractor Sally Santos.

The executive branch has also ordered a nationwide review of flood control projects, while the Office of the Ombudsman has filed multiple cases before the Sandiganbayan. The Department of Justice is pursuing cases involving alleged ghost projects in Bulacan.

Investigations by the National Bureau of Investigation and financial probes by the Anti-Money Laundering Council have led to criminal complaints and asset freezes, with more than P21.8 billion frozen as of Tuesday, April 30.

Proposals, charges

Lacson said the panel is pushing to remove “allocables” and “leadership funds” from the budget, calling them a form of pork barrel that weakens transparency.

Several senators, including Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, and Mark Villar, have been linked to the flood control controversy. They allegedly received kickbacks from government projects, which the senators denied.

He also proposed measures to strengthen accountability, including amending the Ombudsman law, defining beneficial ownership and conflict of interest, and imposing stricter penalties on corrupt practices.

Rappler’s investigative series on infrastructure corruption uncovered ties between government contractors and public officials, pointing to conflicts of interest.

Other proposals include digitalizing asset declarations, strengthening whistleblower protection, and ensuring the independence of Commission on Audit personnel by recalling them from assigned agencies.

The report also outlines a “menu” of possible criminal charges against those involved. These include malversation, bribery, violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, plunder, money laundering, falsification, perjury, and bid rigging, among others.

Lacson said the committee will continue its investigation once hearings resume. Among the matters to be examined are the paper trail of “allocables” and leadership funds, and the possible involvement of other officials.

He said the panel will again invite former House speaker Martin Romualdez to give his side, and seek the appearance of former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co if he returns to the country.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier announced that Co had been arrested in Prague. Weeks later, however, the Philippine government confirmed that he had been released, left Prague, and reportedly applied for asylum in France. – Rappler.com