MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has raised the possibility of filing economic sabotage charges against contractors and officials over alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Bulacan.
During an inspection of what he branded as a “ghost” project in Baliwag City, the Chief Executive expressed his frustration over what he described as wasted opportunities to deliver vital infrastructure to the public.
“If all of these projects were properly executed and implemented, ang laki ng nawalang problema sa atin at sa taumbayan,” President Marcos said.
“Magiging mas maayos mula sa irrigation, fresh water supply for households. Pero itong ginagawa nila talagang nakakapinsala sa mga local residents. I’m not disappointed. I’m angry,” he added.
The President’s remarks came after the Commission on Audit (COA) ordered a fraud audit of flood-control programs in Bulacan, which from 2022 to 2025 received the biggest slice of funding for such projects in Central Luzon.
The review aligns with Marcos’ earlier directive in his State of the Nation Address to scrutinize the government’s multi-billion-peso flood control spending.
President Marcos said his legal team would carefully evaluate COA’s findings, stressing that accountability will be enforced.
“For the big ones I’m thinking very hard na pipilahan natin sila ng economic sabotage… tignan natin ah, ‘yung utang ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas, mababawasan kung naging maayos lahat ito,” he said.
He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and to report suspected irregularities through the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” platform./PN
