AS FLOODING persists in several areas of Davao City during heavy rains, some Dabawenyos question why contractors are being publicly shamed while lawmakers in Congress, both congressmen and senators, who approved flood control allocations appear untouched.
This came after Monsignor Meliton Oso, director of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC), criticized the September 1, 2025, Senate inquiry on alleged flood control anomalies.
“Why only target contractors? The proponents of these projects — the congressmen and senators — must also be investigated,” Msgr. Oso said. He noted that legislators approve and benefit from budget insertions, often pocketing far more than contractors.
According to Oso, corruption in public works has drained as much as P1.9 trillion from government coffers, funds that could have fed millions and built reliable infrastructure. Instead, the country is left with substandard dikes, eroding roads, and bridges collapsing under their own weight.
Local voices of protest
For many in Davao, flood control corruption is not an abstract issue but a lived reality.
Roselyn Matanding, 45, a resident of Barangay Matina, expressed her anger: “Ang kontraktor sila permi pasibyaon, pero ang wa mo-approve sa budget, kinsa na sila? Dapat puhon sila pangutan-on usab.”
(The contractors are always the ones being blamed, but those who approved the budget — who are they? They should also be questioned in the future.)
Meanwhile, a 37-year-old resident of Barangay Buhangin who refused to be identified in this interview questioned the fairness of the Senate probe: “Kontraktor lang ang pasakitan? Walay proyekto kung wala ni okey tung senator o congressman. Dapat patas ang imbestigasyon (Will only the contractors be blamed? There would be no project if it weren’t approved by a senator or congressman. The investigation should be fair.)”
On the other hand, a 52-year-old public school teacher from Bacaca, El Rio said that every rainy season brings anxiety. “Kung mag-uwan, kami jud ang maapektohan. Kinahanglan pangutan-on pud ang naga-gunit ug naga-approve sa kwarta (When it rains, we are the ones directly affected. Those handling and approving the funds should also be questioned.)”
Their stories highlight a local frustration: corruption at the top leaves ordinary people to face the floods below.
Davao City’s flood control struggles
Davao has long wrestled with flooding, particularly in low-lying areas near the Talomo River and the Matina Gravahan dike.
In January 2024, a section of the dike collapsed after heavy rainfall. Officials admitted that right-of-way issues left parts of the structure unfinished, exposing nearby communities to greater risk.
Residents recall how logs and debris from upland areas overwhelmed the unfinished portion, causing water to spill into their homes.
“Last year sunod-sunod baha, dagko kaayo troso diri paingon nga part mao wala nakaya, nibigay,” one resident told the Davao media.
The collapse is not isolated.
Reports from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) show that several riverbank protections in the city remain incomplete due to delays in land acquisition and the lack of funds. Yet billions continue to be released for flood control across the country, raising questions about where the money actually goes.
Unraveling the empire of the ‘Flood Control Queen’
Among the contractors thrust into the national spotlight is Sarah Discaya, dubbed the “Flood Control Queen.”
In September 2025, during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, she admitted to owning nine construction firms — Alpha & Omega, St. Gerrard, St. Timothy, St. Matthew, Elite, Amethyst Horizon, Great Pacific, YPR, and Way Maker, which collectively secured an estimated P31 billion in government projects from 2022.
Her admission triggered the immediate revocation of all nine firms’ licenses by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), citing “collusion” and manipulation of bidding processes.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada revealed that some of her companies had bid against each other in the same DPWH projects, clear evidence of mock bidding.
Discaya also owns a fleet of 28 luxury vehicles, including Rolls-Royce, Maybach, and Bentley, raising public outrage about ill-gotten wealth.
Meanwhile, protesters in Pasig vandalized her office buildings with mud and signs, calling her a “magnanakaw” (thief) to highlight public fury at graft.
Senate Blue Ribbon investigation
In August 2025, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee launched a probe dubbed “Philippines Under Water.” The hearings exposed irregularities in the P545.6-billion flood control budget under the Marcos administration.
Officials admitted to “ghost” projects in Bulacan, where billions were allocated for structures that never materialized.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed information about a P5-billion ghost project in Central Luzon, estimating that contractors could keep up to 40 percent of the funds.
Other schemes emerged, including license renting, where smaller builders borrowed triple-A and quadruple-A licenses from big firms, and monopolies, where only 15 contractors cornered nearly P100 billion worth of projects, 18 percent of the entire budget from July 2022 to May 2025.
Senator Erwin Tulfo described the program as “a grand robbery,” alleging that commissions as high as 25 percent left only 30-40 percent of funds for actual construction.
Senator JV Ejercito criticized the absence of a master plan, while Senator Imee Marcos highlighted stalled flagship projects such as the Parañaque Spillway and Laguna de Bay dredging.
Senator Bam Aquino also pointed out that the flood budget exceeded allocations for school infrastructure.
Billions lost, accountability uneven
Watchdog groups estimate that systemic graft has drained billions from flood control programs. Reuters reported that 15 contractors alone managed to corner nearly 20 percent of contracts, sparking accusations of favoritism and lack of transparency.
President Marcos has ordered the creation of an independent commission to investigate, while the Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman (COA) have opened special probes into ghost projects and irregular allocations.
But residents like Roselyn and others argue these moves will be toothless unless lawmakers themselves are held to account.
Corruption in Congress
Several lawmakers have been tied to corruption in flood control and infrastructure over the years. Senator Panfilo Lacson has repeatedly exposed how commissions of 20-25 percent are taken by politicians and agencies, leaving little for actual construction.
In Batangas, Representative Leandro Leviste disclosed that a DPWH official attempted to bribe him with P3.2 million over defective flood structures.
Senator Erwin Tulfo himself admitted the scandal might be “worse than Napoles,” invoking the pork barrel scam that shook the nation in 2014.
For Dabawenyos, every collapse of a dike or overflow of a river is more than just a natural disaster; it is a reminder of how billions in public funds are siphoned away through corruption. While contractors are often blamed, Dabawenyos believe accountability must also include those whose decisions and signatures release the flood of money, which too often washes away into private pockets. DEF