MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued a stern warning to those involved in faulty flood control projects, vowing accountability for the suffering endured by Filipinos affected by recent typhoons.

“Mayroong dapat naman managot dahil sa dinadaanan na hirap, na dinadanas ng ating mga kababayan. They have to be told who is responsible and somebody has to answer for their suffering,” the President said in the third episode of the BBM Podcast.

Marcos said his frustration stemmed from seeing first-hand the devastation brought by defective or unfinished flood control infrastructure, which prompted him to confront the issue during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“It started last December, noong umiikot ako dahil nga sunod-sunod ‘yung bagyo at nakikita natin kung talagang napakabigat ng ulan. Noong nangyari na naman itong bagyo ngayon, pagpunta ko, nakita ko hindi nagagawa. Akala ko ba mayroon tayong nilagay dito? Hindi pa naumpisahan’ or whatever, the usual excuses,” Marcos said.
“Sabi ko kalokohan na ito. Maliwanag na hindi ginagawa ang trabaho.”

He also recalled distressing scenes in evacuation centers, where families are cramped in gyms, with children sleeping on concrete floors and the sick and elderly exposed to heat and health risks.

“Hindi natin ginagawa dapat ito sa kababayan natin. Kasalanan na ito,” he added.

While the President did not name specific officials, he noted that some are already “notorious” for their alleged involvement in fraudulent flood control schemes.

Marcos also made it clear that political alliances would not shield anyone from accountability.

“Sorry na lang. Hindi na kita kaalyado kung ganyan ang ginagawa mo. Ayaw na kitang kaalyado,” he said.

During his SONA on July 28, Marcos drew applause when he denounced alleged corruption in flood control projects, citing “kickbacks, errata, SOP, for the boys” as examples of abuse.