By CESAR JOLITO III
Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez assured the public that transparency and accountability remain top priorities in the government’s ongoing flood control investigations.
Benitez said over the weekend that he recently met with Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, lead convenor of the Council of Concerned Citizens (C3), a private sector group currently investigating the implementation of flood control projects in Bacolod City.
“Fr. Buenafe told me that their group stands for good governance and accountability, and I told him — so are we,” Benitez said, stressing that his office supports any legitimate effort to ensure government projects are properly implemented and free from corruption.
The lawmaker said C3 officials are set to meet this week to determine how both parties can work together in promoting transparency and integrity in public works.
While acknowledging that some C3 members were his former political opponents, Benitez underscored that political differences should not hinder legitimate oversight.
“If witch hunting is their purpose, that’s a different story,” he cautioned.
Benitez noted that apart from the private sector initiatives, various government bodies — including the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) — are also conducting nationwide investigations into flood control projects to ensure accountability in spending and implementation.
On the national level, Benitez reiterated that the 2026 national budget deliberations are being conducted with full transparency.
“All deliberations are publicly broadcast, and once the budget is approved at the plenary, there will be no more changes,” he emphasized.
The congressman added that both the Senate and the House of Representatives are currently undertaking separate probes into flood control projects as part of broader efforts to strengthen infrastructure governance across the country.
Earlier, C3, a Bacolod-based watchdog, flagged six flood control projects worth more than P573 million, including the P96.5-million flood wall on Lupit River in Barangay 40 that gave way last September 26 as strong currents swelled the riverbanks.
C3 convener Cesar Beloria said the collapsed section had been completed only on February 15, 2024, just 19 months earlier, by Legacy Construction Corporation in a joint venture with MKU Construction and Supply.
Aside from the Lupit River project, C3 flagged five other flood control structures — including revetments and flood walls along the Magsungay, Ngalan, Bakyas, and Loygoy rivers, as well as a flood wall and esplanade along the Sum-ag River.
These were completed between January and December 2024, clustered among just three contractors, and have shown signs of damage despite being only about a year old.
C3 said it will forward its findings and recommendations to ICI for further action./CJ, WDJ