VICE President Sara Duterte said that issues of corruption in flood control projects are not limited to the current administration but also to the previous administrations.
“Sabi ko nga ‘no, too little, too late yung administration. Alam naman na natin yang problem na corruption sa flood control. Hindi lang sa administration na ito (but) sa lahat ng mga dumaan na administration,” she said in a media interview on Monday, September 1, 2025, at The Hague, Netherlands.
(Like I said, the administration’s response is too little, too late. We already know that corruption in flood control has been a problem — not just in this administration, but in all the past ones as well.)
Duterte said that when she was mayor of Davao City in 2010, there were already issues of corruption in flood control projects.
However, she stressed that the problem has worsened under the current administration. She also emphasized that corruption in government extends beyond flood control projects.
The vice president went on to recall her time as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), during which she deliberated extensively over her resignation. She shared that she had raised concerns about the DepEd's school building budget, which, according to her, had allocations influenced by members of the House of Representatives (HOR), and that a list was even attached to the HOR’s version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
She claimed that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was made aware of the anomalies within the DepEd, as she personally raised these concerns to him. However, she said Marcos chose to look the other way.
Duterte also expressed dismay over the sudden investigation into anomalous flood control projects, which, for her seems staged — as though something is being prepared behind the scenes while the public remains distracted by the issue.
“Kung seryoso lang talaga ang President, tapos na yan isang araw lang. Matuturo niya lahat ng may kagagawan ng corruption sa budget. Pero, well, as you can see, para ngang nanonood tàyo ng zarzuela (If the President were really serious, that could be finished in just one day — he could point out everyone involved in the corruption in the budget. But, well, as you can see, it’s like we’re just watching a zarzuela (a staged drama or farce),” she said.
Earlier, during a Senate hearing on Monday, September 1, 2025, Sarah Discaya stated that her company began engaging with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on flood control projects in 2016.
Discaya, president of Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor and Development Corporation, added that they began participating in DPWH biddings as early as 2012.
Marcos also revealed that he will issue an executive order to create an independent body tasked with investigating the flood control anomalies.
To recall, in his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 28, 2025, Marcos ordered an investigation into the P350 billion worth of flood control projects across the country.
He personally inspected several multi-million peso flood control projects in various regions, including Bulacan province. Marcos stated that he was “very angry” and would ensure that any officials or contractors found guilty would face non-bailable charges for economic sabotage. RGP