Sabotage angle eyed in flooding of unfinished Iloilo City legislative building

ILOILO City – The recent flooding inside the unfinished Iloilo legislative building has taken a darker turn, with Mayor Raisa Treñas revealing that investigators are now looking into the possibility of sabotage.

Treñas said initial findings from the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) indicate that the waterline burst on August 28 may not have been accidental.

The incident, which started from a ruptured hose at the pantry of the seventh-floor conference room, sent torrents of water down to the first floor and caused several office ceilings to collapse.

“Isa nila nga nakita upon investigation nga daw may nagbuho. Isa sa ginalantaw nila nga angle nga basi may nagsabotahe,” Treñas disclosed in a press briefing, quoting the CEO’s report.

She added that the nature of the rupture does not align with typical water pressure issues or ordinary leakage.

“Kun leakage gid man ang natabo, dapat naghalin ini sa gintabuan sang hose nga konektado sa tubo pakadto sa lababo sang pantry,” Treñas explained, stressing that the damage suggested deliberate tampering.

The flooding renewed scrutiny on the controversial legislative building, which has been mired in delays since its original completion target of March 2023.

Contractor EM Cuerpo has since been granted multiple extensions, the latest pushing the deadline to September 2025. Yet, critical features like elevators and a skywalk linking the structure to City Hall remain unfinished.

The city government has already slapped the contractor with P3 million in liquidated damages. Treñas said the sabotage angle, if proven true, would only add to the mounting concerns over the integrity and accountability of the project.

“We will get to the bottom of this. If sabotage is confirmed, we will hold the responsible parties accountable,” she vowed./PN