By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega of La Union has called for a deeper probe into flood-control projects that allegedly carried zero or questionable budget allocations, warning that the discrepancies could point to serious irregularities in the government’s infrastructure spending.
Ortega said the projects must undergo strict validation and cross-checking to determine how they were proposed, funded and eventually implemented.
He described the questioned entries as potentially “grossly anomalous,” stressing that budget records must be matched against actual projects on the ground.
The review includes flood-control projects handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly those involving regional offices whose records are now being examined.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and other government agencies are also expected to assist in validating documents and determining whether reported projects were actually completed and whether government payments were properly supported.
The investigation could also determine how projects with little or no initial funding later appeared in government spending records.
For Ortega, the issue goes beyond budget discrepancies. It is a question of accountability and whether public funds intended to protect communities from flooding were properly spent.
Further proceedings, including a scheduled direct examination on Wednesday, are expected to provide additional details on the questioned projects.
The emerging probe could ultimately establish whether the anomalies were isolated incidents—or part of a wider pattern in the handling of billions of pesos in flood-control funds.
