BALIWAG CITY, Bulacan – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will file economic sabotage charges against those behind the ‘ghost’ flood control project in Barangay Piel, Baliwag City in Bulacan.
That’s what the president said after visiting the said remote barangay on Wednesday morning.
He himself confirmed that the P55 million worth of dike project that was supposed to protect farms against floods, is all just a ‘phantom’ as he mentioned in his previous State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“This is falsification because they reported that it was completed, but we can see that it was not completed. So immediately that’s falsification, that’s already a big violation. For the big one, the thinking is very hard. We need to charged them of economic sabotage,” said President Marcos.
Based on documents obtained by the Office of the President from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the project was declared ‘completed’ but it was not even started or nothing was done.
President Marcos insisted that not a single piece of steel or a single sack of cement was used in the project that never actually happened, but was paid for by the government.
The president further stated, “Nothing. Go there, you won’t see anything. There is constant flooding on the other side. If all these projects are properly completed or implemented, the problem would have been eliminated for us and the people and then everything would be fine, even irrigation.”
The P55.7 million fund is from the 2025 National Budget which is supposed to be for the construction of a dike or flood mitigation structure and reinforced concrete river wall in Purok 4 of Barangay Piel.
Although the source of the funds is currently being sought, President Marcos assured that the said project will be implemented sensibly to save the residents and the farms of farmers on the border of Baliwag and San Luis, Pampanga from flooding.
The president’s urgent inspection here in Baliwag took place a few days after his surprise visit in Calumpit where there is also an anti-flood project that was not completed but was also declared complete.
These surprise visits by President Marcos are proof that his administration is serious about pursuing those who have exploited public funds, and delivering quality infrastructure projects.
