Vice President Sara Duterte challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prove his seriousness on his anti-corruption efforts by not only looking at the flood control projects but also reviewing the entire budget for 2024 and 2025.
“So kung seryoso talaga ang administrasyon sa paghabol about sa corruption, tingnan nila yung buong budget ng 2024 at ng 2025. At hindi lang yan, huwag tayo tumigil dyan. Sagutin yung mga blangko doon sa budget. Madami pa tayong questions. So, hindi lang flood control, lahat,” Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, the President has exposed the anomalies involving contractors and officials in the “ghost” flood control projects.
Duterte emphasized that public officials and contractors of ghost projects and substandard projects should really be held accountable.
“At saka huwag tayo tumigil sa flood control projects, dahil noong 2023 — 2024, noong 2024, last year, nagsabi na ako sa school building program pa lang ng Department of Education, pinaghati hatian na ng members of the House of Representatives, pero walang nag-react. Hanggang ngayon, walang nagsasalita, walang nag-iimbestiga. Hindi lang naman flood control eh,” she said.
Duterte explained that it is the job of the Commission on Audit (COA) to investigate if it finds any anomalies in the projects.
“So based on their audit or based on investigation sa DPWH, kung hindi man, dahil sila yung iniimbestigahan based on NBI or Special Committee ng DOJ na mag-imbestiga, dapat talaga pagpanagutin yung mga public officials at yung mga contractors ng ghost projects at ng substandard projects dahil delikado yun sa mga mamamayan,” she said.
When asked if given the chance, how the administration should resolve corruption, Duterte answered that she will not give free legal advice to the Marcos administration.
“Ayoko na magbigay ng libre legal advice at professional advice sa administration ha. Dahil wala na tayong aasahan sa administrasyon na ito. Panoorin na lang natin sila sa circus nila. Panoorin na lang natin sila sa kanilang zarzuela. Corruption, corruption, tapos flood control lang. Eh ang daming projects sa gobyerno, hindi lang flood,” she said.
