By CESAR JOLITO III
Cadiz City Mayor and Negros Alliance of Chief Executives (ACE) President Salvador “Bading” Escalante, Jr. has expressed support for calls demanding transparency and accountability in government flood control projects.
In a radio interview, Escalante stressed that public officials have a duty to ensure openness in all government undertakings, whether carried out by the national or local government.
“Trabaho sang isa ka public official ang mangin transparent. Indi lang flood control projects, kundi tanan nga proyekto nga ginahimo sang gobyerno dapat nakahibalo ang publiko,” Escalante said.
The call for full transparency stemmed from a manifesto initiated by Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javi Benitez.
Although Escalante said the manifesto has not yet formally reached their group, many Negros mayors under ACE have already signified their support.
“Kun wala ka man sang sala, ngaa magakulba ka nga usisaon ang mga proyekto?” Escalante added.
Despite this, the Cadiz mayor noted that flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in his city have been generally effective, particularly along the Sicaba River and Gindasakan Creek.
Only one project, he said, showed minor structural damage but has not hampered water flow.
Escalante’s statement reinforces the growing clamor for transparency in infrastructure projects across Negros Occidental, with local leaders emphasizing that accountability should go hand-in-hand with disaster preparedness initiatives.
DPWH secretary asked to resign
Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez called for stronger accountability in the government following the discovery of a P55-million flood control project in Bulacan that was marked “completed” by DPWH, despite no actual work having been done on the ground.
Benitez, citing the principle of command responsibility, urged DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan to resign.
“If something as basic as this has been overlooked, who knows how many more critical projects are in a similar state?” Benitez said in a statement.
“As the President said in his State of the Nation Address: Mahiya ka naman. The DPWH secretary should resign now,” he added.
He also pressed for a full audit of flood control projects nationwide to uncover possible substandard or nonexistent works.
Beyond the controversy, Benitez stressed that transparency in government spending must begin with Congress itself.
“Public office is a public trust,” he said in a separate statement.
“If we demand accountability from agencies, we must also ensure transparency in the way we craft the national budget,” the lawmaker pointed out.
Benitez expressed support for making public all amendments made by the small committee to the 2025 national budget, saying this would allow Filipinos to know which lawmakers proposed specific allocations.
“Kung ang pinag-uusapan ay ang pera ng taong bayan, dapat taong bayan din ang nakakaalam at makikinabang. Wala tayong itatago sa kanila,” Benitez quoted Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as saying.
“Now is the time to walk the talk.”
For Benitez, the Bulacan project fiasco highlights not just accountability gaps in the executive branch, but also the urgent need for Congress to lead by example in practicing full transparency.
Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who personally inspected the flood control project at Barangay Piel in Bulacan’s Baliuag town yesterday, said he was “very angry” after finding that the 220-meter river wall project — supposedly started last February and fully paid for — remained nonexistent.
“Walang ginawa kahit isang araw. Kahit puntahan niyo, wala kayong makikita na kahit ano,” the President said, adding that the failure not only wasted public funds but also endangered residents in flood-prone areas./CJ, WDJ