Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan did not mince words as he condemned the officials and contractors behind the anomalous flood control projects after revelations surfaced on the ghost and substandard infrastructure projects across the country.
In a media interview, the senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform lamented how the country’s agriculture sector and agricultural workers suffer the most during times of calamities.
He emphasized that flood control projects are critical to public safety, particularly in low-lying and disaster-prone communities
“Alam ninyo sa tuwing kalamidad, ang pinakamalaking pinsala infrastructure, agriculture, lalo na dito sa pagbabaha,” Pangilinan said, noting that non-existent and substandard flood control projects fail to protect farmers from the devastating impact of flooding and typhoons.
The senator lamented how a 150-hectare riceland in Oriental Mindoro is now under rocks and cement after the collapse of several substandard flood control projects there.
“So, may direktang bearing yan. Sabi ko nga tong mga to hindi pa, buhay pa sila pero yung kaluluwa nila sinusunog na sa impyerno,” he stressed. “Dapat talaga busisiin ito at parusahan tong mga sugapa. Biro nyo yun trilyon, diba?”
Pangilinan again expressed his support for the creation of an independent investigative body by law. The commission, he added, should be led by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
“And dapat si Presidente, ang advise natin: Tiyakin na yung susunod na ombudsman ang marching orders dahil tutal umiikot si Presidente binubusisi lahat ito, dapat yung ombudsman na ia-appoint nya eh hahabulin lahat ang mga to,” he said.
He also once more called for the resignation of DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, calling it an “incompetence” on his part not to discover the anomalous government infrastructure projects under his watch.
“Dalawa lang naman yan kahit san mo tingnan di ba? Nalusutan siya ng trilyon na halaga o incompetent siya,” Pangilinan pointed out. “Pero kung di sya incompetent, eh di kasabwat sya eh mas lalo di ba? So, either way you look at it—whether nagkulang sya or kasabwat sya—the honorable thing to do is to resign and face the music.”