A group of mayors called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other national government agencies to immediately disclose complete details of all flood control and infrastructure projects amid mounting corruption allegations.
In a released statement on Saturday, August 16, the Mayors for Good Governance expressed support for the Filipino people’s "demanding the truth, accountability, and justice behind the massive corruption allegations in flood control and other infrastructure projects, including the reported collusion between government officials and favored contractors."
The initiative is spearheaded by Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, who was among the first to expose irregularities in the flood control projects.
Joining him are Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman, with more local chief executives expected to sign on in the coming days.
The mayors demanded the publication of all relevant documents, including Programs of Work, Detailed Unit Price Analyses, Bills of Quantities, Feasibility Studies.
Most importantly, they want names of contractors and politicians behind the multi-billion peso projects.
"Flood control projects have existed for decades, but over the past years, corruption in these projects has become more alarming, pervasive, and systematic," the statement read.
"There is no justification for any secrecy or delay. The Filipino people have waited long enough. Families have suffered unrelenting floods and landslides,' the statement added.
The group expressed strong support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive during his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, where he ordered an investigation into ₱350 billion worth of flood control projects.
“Transparency is no longer optional, but a duty we owe to every Filipino,” the statement read.
The mayors stressed that as frontliners in disaster response, they have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of floods and the urgent need for accountability.
“Flood control projects have existed for decades, but corruption in these projects has become more alarming, pervasive, and systematic,” the statement said. “The Filipino people have waited long enough. Families have suffered unrelenting floods and landslides. There is no justification for any secrecy or delay.”
The mayors underscored their unified demand for full transparency and genuine accountability, as they called for swift prosecution and removal from office of officials and contractors found guilty of corruption.
“Our position is clear: full transparency and genuine accountability now. Those who have stolen public funds must face the full force of the law,” the statement declared. “Once proven guilty, politicians and bureaucrats must not only be removed from office, but also prosecuted and jailed
"Corruption must end now. The Filipino people deserve a government that protects and serves them, not one that endangers their lives and robs them of their future," the statement read.
The group vowed to continue pressing for reforms, asserting that taxpayers deserve a government that protects their lives and safeguards their future, rather than one that endangers communities through graft and neglect.
