P545-B Flood Control Scam? Senate to Grill DPWH, Big-Time Contractors

The Senate is turning up the heat on what could be one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals yet — the alleged multi-billion peso flood control racket at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

On Tuesday, August 19, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, led by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, will kick off its probe into the alleged anomalies.

Marcoleta admitted the job won’t be easy.“Ang hirap talaga… considering the enormity of the multi-billion projects and the complexity of untangling the web of corruption,” the senator said.

But he vowed to dig deep — not just into the contractors who cornered juicy projects, but also into DPWH officialsaccused of pocketing kickbacks.

The senator even dared the contractors to spill the beans:“Sabihin n’yo kung magkano ang binibigay n’yo sa mga opisyal ng gobyerno para hindi kayo lang ang madidikdik dito,”Marcoleta warned.

The controversy exploded after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bared a list of 15 favored contractors who allegedly bagged a staggering 20% of the ₱545-billion flood control budget covering 2022 to 2025.

Critics are now calling it a “flood of corruption” — billions meant to save communities from disaster, allegedly washed away by greedy hands.

All eyes will be on Tuesday’s hearing, where senators are expected to grill DPWH officials and contractors on how taxpayer money may have been siphoned off.