Marcos Jr.: No room for corruption in disaster rehab

President Marcos leads the ceremonial turnover of P8.6 billion in Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program funds to representatives of disaster-affected local government units at Malacañang yesterday. Former vice president Leni Robredo attended the eve

STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines —  The “full force of the law” would be applied to those taking advantage of other peoples’ miseries to enrich themselves, President Marcos said yesterday, as he strongly urged local governments to use their disaster management funds properly and shun anomalous projects.

During the ceremonial turnover of disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance to local governments, Marcos said the funding should assist calamity-hit residents, not serve as a money-making mechanism for those who want to get rich in the midst of tragedies.

“There must be no room for corruption in this program. Ghost projects are not allowed. Commissions are not allowed. Substandard rehabilitation projects are not allowed,” the President said.

“Anyone who tries to profit from the suffering of our fellow Filipinos will face the full force of the law. So, to our LGUs, (local government units) I enjoin you, use these funds wisely and serve our people with the honesty (and) the diligence that they deserve,” he added.

During his fourth State of the Nation Address last year, Marcos ordered a probe into ghost and substandard flood control projects, a multibillion-peso corruption issue that he said placed the lives of several people at risk.

The Philippine economy may have lost about P118.5 billion each year from 2023 to 2025 to flood control corruption, based on the finance department’s estimates.

The national government has allocated P8.6 billion in rehabilitation and reconstruction aid to 306 disaster-struck LGUs to help them recover from the effects of typhoons, earthquakes and the Kanlaon Volcano eruption. The Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program (DRRAP) will bankroll damaged roads, bridges, public buildings and evacuation centers and restore agriculture, housing, education, health services and local livelihoods.

Marcos explained that while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund allows some national agencies to help localities, there are still gaps as not every rehabilitation and recovery need is necessarily addressed.

“And that is where the DRRAP comes in. It provides direct financial assistance to LGUs and gives you flexibility to identify and for you to prioritize interventions based on your local circumstances.”

Marcos said the first batch of more than P6 billion has been released, while the second batch, consisting of more than P2.5 billion, has already been approved and is being downloaded to local governments.

Leni at Palace

For her part, Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, an erstwhile political rival of Marcos, is convinced that no political color was considered in the distribution of assistance.

“Perhaps the best evidence that there is no political color is the attendance a while ago. We can see that the attendees came from different political parties, different political affiliations,” she told reporters after the ceremonial turnover.  “In terms of recovery, we cannot let our countrymen wait.”

During the group photo, she stood at the back, far from Marcos. –  Evelyn Macarian