A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Friday stressed that scrutiny of infrastructure projects in Davao City should not be taken personally, as he urged Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte to welcome oversight of flood control funds in his district.
“Kaya bilang mga tagapaglingkod ng ating gobyerno, huwag na tayo magtampo kung titingnan yung ating mga project doon. Baka maganda ‘yun, di ba, baka mapuri pa sila,” Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno said.
Puno, chairman of the National Unity Party (NUP), explained that public officials must always be prepared to account for the use of government funds, particularly in light of recurring floods that continue to hit the city despite years of allocations for anti-flood systems.
“Siguro kung public official ka, siguro tanggapin mo lahat ng klase ng pag-iimbestiga eh. Kasama ‘yan sa trabaho. At kung gusto mong patunayan na maayos ‘yung ginawa mo, bakit hindi ka papayag na tingnan nila lahat? Ganun lang yun,” Puno said.
The lawmaker underscored that Davao City is not being singled out, noting that other regions have also been identified for scrutiny in connection with questionable flood control spending.
He added that oversight is part of Congress’ mandate and not an attack on local leaders.
“Hindi lang naman Davao City, in fairness, ang iimbestigahan ng committee … Ang alam ko, marami silang areas na iimbestigahan. Hindi lang ‘yan, pati ‘yung pinuntahan ni Presidente sa Baguio, sa Mountain Province, pupuntahan din na lahat ‘yun. At ‘yung lahat ng mga binanggit ni Sen. [Ping] Lacson, I’m sure pupuntahan nila ‘yun,” Puno said.
The House review of flood control projects has gained urgency following recent flooding in Davao City that submerged hundreds of barangays and displaced residents.
Officials said the disaster highlighted the need to verify whether existing projects were implemented properly and whether the funds allocated achieved their purpose.
Puno stressed that such investigations could even benefit local officials, since proper oversight may validate that projects were aboveboard and effective, rather than tainted by irregularities.
“May ibang province pa na alam kung pupuntahan nila … pero hindi naman sini-single out ang Davao City,” Puno said.
