Baste Duterte calls Marcos’ flood control probe a “pr stunt”
Metro Manila, Philippines - Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte slammed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over alleged corruption in flood control projects, saying the administration’s inquiry is nothing more than political theater.
“Kasi ginagawa niyang press release yan ngayon, PR stunt niya ngayon eh,” Duterte said.
[Translation: He’s just making it into a press release, it’s his PR stunt.]
The younger Duterte argued that Marcos cannot escape accountability after three years in office, stressing that any irregularities in flood control projects ultimately reflect on the president.
“Kung serious talaga siya… then why not file a case? Kung talagang gusto mo ipakita sa tao, okay, you want to redeem yourself, kulong ka dyan,” he added.
[Translation: If he is really serious… then why not file a case? If he really wants to show people he’s sincere, then put someone in jail.]
Early this month, Marcos revealed troubling results from the flood control audit, citing projects with missing project descriptions, contracts with identical costs in different locations, and cases where the same contractor appeared across many provinces.
“Imposible ‘yan [That’s impossible],” he said.
He also noted a mismatch between provinces that received the most projects against those identified as flood-prone.
Provinces with the most flood control projects: Bulacan (668), Cebu (414), Isabela (341), Pangasinan (313), Pampanga (292), Albay (273), Leyte (262), Tarlac (258), Camarines Sur (252), and Ilocos Norte (224)
Top flood-prone provinces (National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050): Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, Ilocos Norte
“I’m sure there are explanations for that,” Marcos said. “Pero parang hindi tumutugma. Kaya yan, kailangan natin pag-aralan [But it doesn’t seem to match. That’s why we need to study it],”
Top contractors
The president also disclosed the list of the top 15 contractors, noting that they cornered a fifth of the entire flood control budget, including five that have contracts in nearly all regions.
“This is another disturbing assessment,” Marcos said. “Ang justification sa pagpili ng kontratista ay para sasabihin, pagbigyan naman natin yung lokal.”
[Translation: The justification for choosing a contractor is supposed to be to give locals a chance.]
Marcos named the top five firms that have contracts across the country.
“We are not accusing anyone of anything yet. However, it gives us an idea of how this has been conducted,” he said, urging the public to send their feedback.
