THE story of floods is as old as time. Think of Noah’s Ark — a great flood was coming, but people didn’t listen.
I remember decades ago, as a kid, my sister accidentally fell into a creek after a flood. A man, who we kids implored to help, saved her from certain drowning.
He became an honored guest at her birthday parties for years to come. That was in Southern Leyte, a place perpetually battered by typhoons and floods.
Last year, during his State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned that the country's flood control projects were being addressed. Two days later, a flood hit the country, and we blamed him. What happened to the flood control hype?
This year, his “Mahiya Naman Kayo,” or “You Should Be Ashamed,” portion of the address resonated with many. In the days that followed, he named about 15 companies involved in failed flood control projects, including Centerways Construction and Development Corp. The president of that company, Lawrence Lubiano, is a friend of Senate President Chiz Escudero.
It was later revealed that Centerways Construction had contributed P30 million to Escudero’s campaign, which was about 20% of his total contributions. The timing of this donation, a year before the 2022 elections, made his campaign a “cheesy” one, with Escudero winning a Senate seat.
After Escudero’s win, Centerways saw its flood control projects increase from five to 32.
Escudero was quick to hold a press conference, claiming he had no hand in the company’s decision-making and could not have influenced its operations. He labeled the accusations as a “demolition job.” A vlogger, however, countered that “what is there to demolish when he is already demolished?”
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal noted that government contractors are prohibited by law from donating campaign funds to candidates. This is illegal, and officials could risk disqualification from their positions.
But who will file the petition to disqualify him? According to Macalintal, the Commission on Elections itself can.
The question remains: Will Comelec do it?
Email: nora.lady@yahoo.com or 09073344874 | 09277983167
