August 12, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — On the Home of Representatives, silence greeted President Marcos’ launch yesterday of a listing of 15 contractors who’ve cornered a couple of fifth of flood management initiatives nationwide since 2022.
One of many firms talked about by Marcos, Sunwest Inc., is linked to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and his brother Christopher, the previous consultant of the party-list.
Zaldy Co had declared that he divested his shares within the firm in 2019 when he was elected congressman. He headed the Home appropriations committee within the nineteenth Congress.
Sunwest has but to challenge an announcement on the matter.
Amid the doable involvement of lawmakers within the 15 contractors, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco expressed full assist for Marcos’ “daring and vital transfer to reveal and confront the staggering anomalies” within the nation’s flood management applications.
“The revelation that 6,021 initiatives value over P350 billion or greater than 60 % of the entire variety of initiatives lack fundamental challenge particulars is not only alarming; it’s unacceptable,” Tiangco mentioned.
In an announcement, the lawmaker additionally claimed it was “extra disturbing” for him to be taught that “solely 15 contractors cornered 20 % of your entire P545-billion price range,” elevating critical questions on equity, transparency and potential corruption in challenge implementation.
“As consultant of Navotas, a metropolis that’s under sea degree, I do know firsthand what’s at stake. Our individuals endure rising waters, broken properties, disrupted livelihoods and threats to well being and security. Each peso wasted or misused on flood management is a betrayal of communities like ours,” he mentioned.