AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo “Pido” Garbin today (06 Sept 2025) fired back at Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, saying he was not diverting the issue but exposing the hypocrisy behind the Navotas solon’s cries against congressional funding initiatives.
“I’m not diverting from the issue of controversial allocations. There’s also no question that Navotas, like many other areas, is prone to floods and needs government help,” Garbin said. “But I take issue with Congressman Tiangco’s hypocrisy against insertions when he himself had billions coursed to his small district. Worse, the contracts were bagged by contractors flagged by President Marcos and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).”
Garbin said Tiangco’s over P500 million in flood funding is only the tip of the iceberg. “At the proper time, I will expose more of his insertions which run into the billions,” he warned.
Tiangco earlier defended the P529 million in additional allocations Navotas received, insisting he could not have inserted the funds since he was not part of the bicameral conference committee. But Garbin countered that Tiangco’s denial sidestepped the bigger question: why contractors flagged in President Marcos Jr.’s own “Top 15” list — accused of cornering P100 billion worth of projects — were allowed to handle major works in Navotas.
“You rail against alleged insertions by Ako Bicol and other lawmakers, yet billions flowed into your backyard and cornered by contractors the President himself called out,” Garbin said.
Earlier this week, Garbin blasted Tiangco for “sanctimonious grandstanding,” pointing out that Navotas had been awash with flood-control funds for years but remained submerged in water. “The people deserve to know whether these funds actually translated into protection from floods or just lined the pockets of favored builders,” he added.
Reports from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and recent DPWH disclosures show that firms tied to questionable deals during the Duterte administration resurfaced under Marcos, securing projects in flood-prone districts like Navotas.
Garbin challenged Tiangco to explain how billions in taxpayer money brought little relief to Navoteños who still wade through chest-deep floods. “You can’t lecture everybody about insertions when your own district mirrors the very abuse you denounce,” he said.
“The truth is simple. If we are serious about accountability, then we must scrutinize all insertions — yours included. Otherwise, your posturing is nothing more than hypocrisy,” Garbin stressed.
