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‘The beneficial ownership of the contractors, and their political, familial, or financial links that may have influenced the award or implementation of projects, must be exposed,’ says the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition
MANILA, Philippines – A coalition of transparency advocates is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to go beyond vague promises and ensure genuine transparency in the investigation into the government’s flood control projects.
During his fourth State of the Nation Address, Marcos promised a thorough review of the government’s flood control projects and vowed to go after corrupt officials who have profited from them. He received applause in the session hall.
He added that an audit and performance review will be conducted to ensure public funds were properly spent. He warned that those found guilty, including contractor accomplices nationwide, would face charges in the coming months.
But the Right to Know, Right Now (R2KRN) Coalition warned that mere publication of a list without key details is insufficient.
“A list bereft of important details will just be plain striptease,” said the R2KRN in a statement on Thursday, July 31.
“The beneficial ownership of the contractors, and their political, familial, or financial links that may have influenced the award or implementation of projects, must be exposed,” the group said.
So what does real transparency actually look like?
The R2KRN outlined clear conditions to ensure a credible, effective, and transparent audit process. It called for Marcos to issue an executive order defining the terms of reference that must:
- Set clear objectives, scope, methodology, and benchmarks to assess project integrity
- Guarantee full access to documents, including bidding papers, contracts, and disbursements
- Review the beneficial ownership of contractors, exposing links to politicians or officials that may suggest conflicts of interest or collusion
- Include independent third-party participants such as R2KRN representatives on the audit team
- Empower the team with authority to access records, conduct site inspections, and compel cooperation of other agencies
- Ensure dedicated funding for the audit’s full implementation
- Specify a clear timeline and deliverables to prevent endless delays
The coalition also called on oversight bodies to act in tandem.
The coalition said the Commission on Audit should launch a special fraud audit of flood control projects, consistent with its constitutional mandate.
The Office of the Ombudsman was also urged to proactively investigate corruption and inefficiency, hold wrongdoers accountable, and recommend systemic reforms without waiting for complaints.
R2KRN also asked both the House of Representatives and Senate to disclose which projects were funded or influenced by congressional insertions, ensuring legislative transparency.
“Because the problem is so pervasive and systemic,” the coalition stressed, “the inquiry must go beyond paper compliance and uncover deeper patterns of collusion between public officials and private actors.”
While welcoming Marcos’ pronouncement, the group said more concrete steps are needed to truly curb corruption and hold officials accountable.
“This is the least our people deserve: Magbukas naman kayo ng lubos at tunay!” the statement concluded. (Be fully and genuinely transparent!)
The Marcos administration is eyeing to file cases by August against those involved in corruption-tainted flood control projects. So far, it has allocated P675 billion for its flood management program, surpassing the P612.28 billion allocated over six years under then-president Rodrigo Duterte.
– Rappler.com
