CARTOON BY: AARON PAUL C. CARIL
EDITORIAL
Flood of hypocrisy
It’s hard not to feel a twinge of frustration watching how a critical investigation into flood control projects has unfolded in the halls of Congress. The recent spotlight should have been on uncovering truth and protecting communities vulnerable to rising waters. Instead, it seems some prefer to keep the curtains drawn.
Representative Toby Tiangco has made waves by pointing out troubling budget insertions—over ₱17 billion—linked to people close to former Appropriations Chair Zaldy Co. Money that should have been spent safeguarding lives and homes appears to have flowed instead to favored party-list groups and districts. This isn’t a small matter of numbers on a page; it’s about trust, safety, and whether public funds are being used as they should.
But here’s the rub: when Tiangco tried to call on the bicameral committee chairs, Zaldy Co and Senator Grace Poe, to shed light on these allegations, some lawmakers moved to shut down that effort. They argued it was too personal or premature to call them before the committee. That hesitation speaks volumes.
Oversight means no one is off-limits—not even those who hold power within Congress itself. If key players in the budget process can sidestep questions while contractors and others face scrutiny, then the investigation risks being nothing more than a flood of hypocrisy.
And the consequences go beyond politics. The flood control projects in question are supposed to protect families from disasters that are becoming all too frequent and severe. When corruption seeps into these vital programs, it’s not just a breach of fiscal responsibility—it’s a failure to protect our communities when they need it most.
Congress faces a clear choice. Will it stand by its own, or will it stand up for the people it serves? True reform demands openness and courage. That means allowing full transparency, compelling testimony from all involved, and refusing to shield anyone from accountability.
Because at the end of the day, when the waters rise, it’s not just the flood that threatens us — it’s the erosion of trust, and the flood of hypocrisy that follows.