MANILA — Senator Erwin Tulfo said efforts to hold those accountable in the so-called “flood control mess” should continue despite the government’s focus on rising prices and the ongoing oil-driven economic pressures.

Tulfo said that while immediate relief measures and long-term solutions are needed amid the Middle East conflict pushing up global prices, accountability in public projects must not be set aside.

“We should prioritize the ill effects of the ongoing war, especially curbing skyrocketing prices of goods. What if natural calamities hit us? We really have to iron out a long-term plan,” Tulfo said in an interview.

With tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran still unresolved, the senator stressed the need for a clear government strategy to address a possible worsening energy situation.

Beyond crisis response, Tulfo also pushed for broader social protection measures, including assistance for the middle class.

“We need to ensure that not only the most vulnerable sectors are covered, but also the middle class, those who are one hospital bill away from poverty,” he said.

He said Congress must continue pursuing accountability even as it responds to urgent economic concerns.

“While we want to prioritize crisis-driven issues and solutions to ensure that every Filipino family are taken care of, it is our duty to exact accountability,” he said.

Tulfo also welcomed the reported arrest of former House lawmaker Elizaldy Co in the Czech Republic, describing it as a development in the ongoing flood control investigation.

He expressed hope that Co’s return to the country would help advance the Senate probe and lead to the filing of appropriate cases.

“We should finalize the Senate investigation on this once and for all, so we can move forward with other problems the country is facing,” he said.