Stopping corruption is the key to ending the perennial flooding problem in Laguna both in the long and short terms, former Senator Ping Lacson stressed.
Lacson said flood control programs have been plagued by corruption, citing cases where one backhoe is used only for show in several multi million-peso dredging projects.
“In flood control, dredging is the number one culprit as far as corruption is concerned.”
“For the short and long term, we must stop corruption, and I’m sure our flood control efforts will be effective. In flood control, dredging is the number one culprit as far as corruption is concerned,” he said in Filipino at the press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.
Lacson cited at least one case where a single backhoe was used to cover 50 projects, and was used mainly for “show” as it would do its work only when inspection teams are in the area.
But once the inspection ends, the backhoe would either be idle, or be moved to the site of another project, also for show.
“Imagine, that’s P2.5 billion down the drain.”
“The same backhoe is used. Each project costs P50 million. And there are 50 projects. Imagine, that’s P2.5 billion down the drain,” he explained.
“So we must remove corruption if we want the flood control projects to go right,” Lacson concluded.
