Amid the Public Calls for Accountability, House Speaker Bojie Dy Speaks on Flood Control Probe
House Speaker Bojie Dy said that the flood control probe is best left to the hands of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Amid the flood control issue in the Philippines, both the Senate and the House of Representatives had a change in leadership. The upper chamber was the first to experience a shakeup.
Sen. Chiz Escudero was ousted and replaced by now Senate Pres. Tito Sotto. Escudero admitted to receiving a P30-million campaign donation from one of the contractors flagged by Pres. Bongbong Marcos.
While the contractor claimed that it was his personal money, speculations and criticisms against Escudero crossed the surface. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) also launched an investigation on the contractors who donated to the candidates as it is prohibited under the rules.
Several members of the Duterte bloc are now part of the Senate Minority. Currently, two (2) senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, are accused of alleged involvement in the flood control scam in the country. The accusation was made by dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez.
In the House of Representatives, presidential cousin and Leyte Cong. Martin Romualdez resigned from being the House Speaker after contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya tagged him in the flood control mess. The Discayas claimed that Romualdez and Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co allegedly get a 30% kickback from the flood control deals.
According to Romualdez, he decided to resign from the top post in the House of Representatives as the longer he stays, the weight is not only on him but as well as the chamber and the Marcos Jr. administration. He stressed that he resigned so the Independent Commission for Infrastructure that the President ordered to be created can fully and freely exercise their mandate.
Presidential cousin and Leyte Cong. Martin Romualdez is replaced by now House Speaker Bojie Dy in the lower chamber. He is the representative of Isabela and has served as a vice mayor, mayor, vice governor, and governor in the past.
Recently, following the Trillion Peso March which gathered thousands of Filipinos in several areas in the fight against corruption as well as the demand for accountability, based on a report on GMA News, House Speaker Bojie Dy said the flood control probe is best done by the ICI.
“Mas makakabuti na ipasa na sa ICI,” House Speaker Bojie Dy said.
Previously, following the creation of the ICI, Pres. Bongbong Marcos claimed that Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and his allies will not be spared from the flood control probe.