The President confronts corruption, cleans house, vows to do something substantial for the good of all Filipinos
By Tony Lopez
On Sunday night (Sept. 7, 2025), President Marcos Jr. cried on camera, during the fourth episode of his regular presidential podcast. He wondered how did the flood control corruption become so massive, how has government become so corrupt? “I am shocked, I cannot believe that government has come to this (low point),” the president winced, groping for words.
Conservative estimates are P1 trillion of taxpayers’ money has been lost to the flood control scam, half of the P2 trillion allotted for flood control in the past 15 years. P1 billion a day is stolen at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). That’s on flood control alone. Billions more are lost on projects like highways, bridges, and buildings.
Very, very angry
“I’m not disheartened. I’m not disappointed,” the President wept, “I get very, very angry. How can you do this to people that have worked every day of their lives? Walang ginawa ito kung hindi magtrabaho. Nagsakripisyo nang mahirap for very little. Just to be able to send money home. Just to be able to feed their family, send their children to school. That’s all they want in life. Kukunin niyo pa sa kanila ‘yun para bumili ng Rolls-Royce.”
Decades of corruption
Aside from the mind-boggling amount, Marcos noted, “so many people who have no right to pocket the money are involved. “Hindi nila tinatago (they are not even hiding it).” The scam did not happen overnight. “This happened over many decades.” “We have to figure out what really happened,” he said, and “if it requires legislation, it requires restructuring the government, all these we need to do.”
Independent commission
“We’re making an omelet. We’re going to have to break some eggs. There’s just no way around it,” Marcos said, explaining the need for a thorough investigation, with an independent commission.
“We will give them all the powers that are necessary for them to come to a conclusion, to come to some findings, so that we know what really happened. They have authority to investigate anything and anyone,” he assured. “No sacred cows.”
Conspiracy
The flood control scam is a conspiracy, the premeditated and syndicated work of a number of people—congressmen and senators who create the budget for the flood control projects (who collect up to 30% of project cost, in cash) the top officials, regional and district engineers of the DPWH (who collect 10 to 25%, in cash), and favored private contractors who make do with a profit of 8 to 10% or even less.
Deduct bribes for Commission on Audit people (half percent) and miscellaneous like taxes, insurance and materials testing totaling 9%, and only 25 to 30% is left for project execution. Many times, the entire amount is stolen.
No regret being President
Despite insurmountable problems, Marcos says he does not for one moment regret being president:
“I am given the opportunity, the privilege, the opportunity and the chance to actually do something. All of the things that I complained about all my life, now I can do something about it. And that is the greatest privilege that anyone can be granted. So no, I don’t regret it.”
The ones probably regretting by now are the public officials and congressmen alleged by the husband and wife Curlee and Cesarah Discaya to have received bribe money from them during 2022 to 2025 in exchange for the couple securing flood control projects. Records indicate nine Discaya companies secured P31 billion worth of flood control and other public works contracts.
Bribe takers
In their riveting testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Monday Sept. 8, Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and Cezarah Discaya named the following:
Terrence Calatrava, former undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas of the Philippines; Cong. Roman Romulo of Pasig; Cong. Jojo Ang of Uswag Ionggo Partylist; Cong. Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City; Cong. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde of Quezon City; Cong. Nicanor “Nikki” Briones of AGAP Partylist; Cong. Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro of Marikina; Cong. Florida “Rida” Robes of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan; Cong. Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon; Cong. Benjamin “Benjie” Agarao Jr.; Cong Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel of An-Waray Partylist; Cong. Leody “Odie” Tarriela; Cong. Reynante “Reynan” Arrogancia of Quezon, Cong. Marvin Rillo of Quezon City; Cong. Teodorico “Teodoro” Haresco Jr. of Aklan; Cong. Antonieta Eudela of Zamboanga Sibugay; Cong. Dean Asistio of Caloocan; and Cong. Marivic Co Pillar of Quezon City.
“Paulit ulit kaming ginamit ng mga nasa pwesto sa sistemang ito, wala kaming magawa dahil kung hindi kami makikisama, gagawan nila ng problema ang project na na-award sa amin sa pagitan ng mutual termination o pagkakaroon ng right of way problem na parehong nagdudulot ng hindi matuloy ang implementasyon ng mga proyekto,” Curlee Discaya calmly related in his testimony under oath.
Repeatedly used by the powerful
(We were repeatedly used by those in power in this system. We couldn’t do anything because if we did not cooperate, they would create problems with the project awarded to us through mutual termination or having a right of way problem, both of which result in the stoppage of the project’s implementation.)
“Matapos naming manalo sa mga bidding, may mga opisyal mula sa DPWH ang lumalapit sa amin para humingi at kumuha ng bahagi niya sa halaga ng proyekto. Ang hinihingi nilang porsyento ay hindi bababa sa sampung porsyento at umaabot pa ng 25% na naging kondisyon upang hindi maipit ang implementasyon ng programa,” Curlee Discaya related.
(Right after we win in the bidding, DPWH officials would approach us to demand and receive their share of project cost. Their share is not less than 10% and up to 25%, with the condition that our project would not be jeopardized from implementation).
As I said in my previous column, the DPWH should be abolished. Now. Forthwith.