Senator Rodante Marcoleta criticized contractors behind flood control projects during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, August 18.
Marcoleta cited President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s inspection in Calumpit, Bulacan, where the project was found to be substandard and ineffective due to deviations from proper specifications.
The senator identified the embankment in Calumpit as a project of St. Timothy Construction Corporation, one of 15 contractors allegedly linked to anomalies in flood control projects.
In a previous report, Marcos expressed disappointment over the project’s condition, noting that beams were not properly connected to sheet pile supports, leaving visible gaps and making it appear incomplete.
Marcoleta also presented a photo of a damaged revetment and remarked, “Ayan po ang kaawa-awang kalagayan ng revetment, 80% lupa, 15% semento, plus 5% bakal equals pera,” implying that substandard materials were used for profit. He stressed that the Calumpit project resembled the dilapidated revetment in his presentation.
The senator questioned Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan about the structure’s expected lifespan. Bonoan admitted it “will not last,” calling it a “failure of structure in itself.”
According to Marcoleta, the broken revetment reflects the overall state of flood control projects implemented by the 15 contractors—projects he said are bound to fail due to the improper use of materials and methods.
