PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday, July 27, 2026, that the government's intensified crackdown on corruption in flood control projects has resulted in the recovery, freezing, or preservation of nearly P25 billion worth of assets, as investigations continue against contractors, public officials, and lawmakers allegedly involved in irregularities.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona), Marcos said that of the so far recovered, frozen, or preserved assets valued at nearly P25 billion, more than P800 million have already been returned to the National Treasury.
“Isang taon na ang nakalipas mula noong huli akong tumayo rito, upang ilantad ang katiwalian na nadiskubre namin sa mga flood control projects… Gaya ng aking ipinangako sa inyo, nagsagawa tayo ng malawakan at mala-limang imbestigasyon, na walang pagkiling kahit kanino man. Masusi nating sinuri, at sinundan kung saan tayo itinuro ng ebidensya. Lahat ng kailangang gawin ay ginawa natin upang matunton ang puno’t dulo,” he added.
(One year has passed since I last stood here to expose the corruption we discovered in flood control projects. As I promised you, we conducted a wide-ranging and in-depth investigation, without bias against anyone. We carefully examined the evidence and followed wherever it led us. We did everything necessary to trace the root and full extent of the issue.)
Marcos said the government moved swiftly not only to prosecute those allegedly responsible but also to prevent further losses of public funds by stopping payments for projects found to be defective, fictitious, or otherwise irregular.
The President assured the public that all funds and assets eventually recovered from those implicated in the alleged corruption would likewise be remitted to the government's coffers.
“Malaking bahagi ng naisalba nating pondo mula sa korapsyon sa mga flood control projects, ay binuhos natin sa edukasyon, sa pagkain, sa Department of Health, PhilHealth, at MAIFIP para talagang makatulong makapagpagaling at makapagpalakas ng katawan ng Pilipino,” said Marcos.
(A large portion of the funds we recovered from corruption in flood control projects has been allocated to education, food programs, the Department of Health, PhilHealth, and MAIFIP to truly help heal and strengthen the health of Filipinos.)
He said the prosecution of the cases has been entrusted to the Office of the Ombudsman and the strengthened National Prosecution Service, while expressing confidence that the courts will fairly resolve the cases.
Marcos emphasized that the government's anti-corruption campaign extends beyond criminal prosecution, saying reforms are now underway within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and to improve transparency and accountability.
Among the measures adopted, he said, is the recruitment of new engineers and personnel, including fresh graduates and contract workers with proven integrity, as part of efforts to strengthen the agency's workforce.
The President also said the government has expanded its review beyond flood control projects, directing agencies to reassess public infrastructure projects from the planning stage to implementation to ensure they are necessary, properly costed, and executed according to standards.
To curb overpricing, Marcos said authorities are now requiring project costs, particularly construction materials, to reflect prevailing market prices.
He added that infrastructure projects and the corresponding use of public funds are now subject to tighter monitoring through the government's Transparency Portal, the Integrity Chain system, and the participation of civil society organizations.
Among those detained over alleged involvement in flood-control-related corruption are Senator Jinggoy Estrada, former senator Ramon Bong Revilla, former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, and several other dismissed officials of the agency and contractor couple Sara and Curlee Discaya.
The Discaya couple owns two of the 15 construction firms that cornered the most number of flood control projects from the government from 2022 to 2025.
Over the past three years, Discaya firms bagged around P31 billion worth of government infrastructure contracts, including flood control projects.
Marcos said charges in relation to the flood control scandal will also be soon filed against his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)