MANILA – In a tense floor-floor face-off that crackled with the weight of national scandal, Senate President Francis Escudero turned the 2026 budget debates into a courtroom-style grilling of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, zeroing in on the explosive flood control corruption probe that’s ensnared politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen alike. As lawmakers hashed out billions for infrastructure, Escudero’s pointed questions laid bare the timeline of allegations that could topple more careers, all while praising President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a no-holds-barred pursuit of justice.
The confrontation unfolded Tuesday evening during marathon Senate plenary sessions on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget. With a quick nod from Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to bend the rules, Escudero dove straight into the heart of the mess: At what stage did DPWH brass decide charges were warranted against heavyweights like former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and resigned Congressman Zaldy Co? Dizon, unflinching, walked through the evidence trail that had built the cases – a saga of anomalous flood mitigation projects in Oriental Mindoro tied to Sunwest Corporation, where kickbacks allegedly flowed like monsoon waters.
For Co, the red flags waved early: End of September, mere weeks after the Integrity Compliance Initiative (ICI) – a fresh anti-graft squad – was stood up. DPWH inspections and ICI probes uncovered irregularities in Sunwest-linked works, fast-tracking a referral to the Office of the Ombudsman. Last week, that momentum hit paydirt: The Ombudsman slapped charges before the Sandiganbayan, sparking arrest warrants not just for Co, but for a roster of DPWH officials and private players. “This was the first case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman,” Dizon noted, crediting sworn testimony from Sgt. Orly Guteza at the Senate blue ribbon hearings.
Romualdez’s turn came sharper and more recently – just a few weeks back, Dizon revealed, piecing together years of Sunwest documents, Guteza’s damning words, and ICI sit-downs with the ex-speaker himself. The packet landed at the Ombudsman’s desk last Friday, another evidence-driven salvo in a probe that’s spared no one. Escudero pressed further: Any jitters about targeting Romualdez, Marcos’s cousin and political powerhouse? Dizon shot back with conviction: None. “In all my conversations with the president, he has been consistent in saying that wherever the evidence leads, that is where we will go, regardless of who might be implicated.”
The exchange wasn’t all fire; Escudero, himself no stranger to the scandal’s shadows – having faced claims from resigned DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of a P160-million “donation” skimmed from P800 million in projects via businessman Maynard Ngu – pivoted to applause. He lauded the administration for ditching “any script” or “diversionary tactics,” spotlighting filed cases against Co, Romualdez, and others like Alcantara, Bernardo, and Hernandez. “I know this decision was not easy for President Marcos upon learning that his cousin might be involved,” Escudero said. “Still, I want to commend the president’s determination to hold accountable those who must be held accountable, and his refusal to allow any diversion.”
Escudero has brushed off Bernardo’s September testimony – alleging a 20% kickback scheme funneled through Ngu, a campaign backer – as a “well-orchestrated” smear job aimed at undermining the Senate. But the broader flood control fiasco, bubbling since blue ribbon probes kicked off, has already claimed scalps and frozen funds, exposing how billions earmarked to tame the archipelago’s perennial deluges vanished into ghost jobs and overpriced contracts. With the Ombudsman wielding the gavel and arrest warrants in play, the ripple effects could reshape alliances ahead of 2026’s elections – a high-stakes reminder that in Philippine politics, the rains always bring more than just floods.
As the budget votes loomed, Dizon’s steady rundown underscored a rare moment of cross-aisle grit: Evidence over entanglements. For Escudero, it was vindication wrapped in vigilance. But with more testimonies pending and the Sandiganbayan’s shadow lengthening, the real test is whether this accountability wave crashes on the powerful – or ebbs into another cycle of promises washed away.