As requested by Rep. Libanan
(Cong. Nonoy Libanan’s Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY – House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan of the 4Ps party-list has formally sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in probing flood control projects in Eastern Samar, amid mounting reports of corruption and misuse of infrastructure funds in the province.
Libanan, a former representative of Eastern Samar, asked the NBI to look into projects implemented from 2020 to 2025, and even earlier if records allow.
“I have requested the NBI to conduct an investigation of all flood control projects in Eastern Samar from 2020 to 2025 and if possible, from 2019 to 2021,” Libanan told reporters on Saturday, Sept. 6.
His request follows reports that multi-million peso projects in Hernani and Llorente were declared completed on paper but remain to have started following reports of ghost flood control projects in various parts of the country.
The Hernani project, worth P192 million, and the Llorente project, worth P177 million, were both supposed to be finished in January this year.
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales backed Libanan’s move, pointing to questionable flood control projects in Oras town. At least four projects in remote barangays of Oras, each worth P48.9 million, were supposedly completed but may be spurious.
Gonzales added that Oras appeared to have received a disproportionate share of funding. From 2020 onward, the town allegedly cornered over P1 billion in flood control allocations—more than 90 percent of the province’s total budget—despite nearly all 22 municipalities and Borongan City suffering from perennial flooding, particularly Dolores, Jipapad, and Maslog.
“I want to know what’s so special about Oras that it managed to corner more than 90 percent of flood control projects from 2021 to 2022,” Gonzales said, vowing to personally inspect the sites.
NBI-Eastern Visayas Regional Director Atty. Emeterio Dongallo Jr. confirmed receiving Libanan’s request and assured a fair but firm investigation.
“We will make sure that those responsible for these reported ghost flood control projects will be charged and, if found guilty, will be put behind bars,” Dongallo said. “We are talking here of billions of pesos—money that came from our people.”
He said their findings will be submitted to the Department of Justice for the possible filing of cases.
The controversy comes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier raised alarm over anomalous flood control projects nationwide, revealing that only 15 contractors have cornered most of the contracts.
Libanan welcomed the President’s remarks and stressed that public vigilance is needed.
“The money wasted due to these ghost projects could have been used to rehabilitate vital infrastructure like the San Juanico Bridge or the Maharlika Highway in Samar,” he said.
Both Libanan and Gonzales vowed to pursue accountability to protect taxpayers’ money and ensure that flood control projects truly benefit the people.
JOEY A. GABIETA
