IS MAYOR VICO SOTTO OPENING A NEW FRONT IN THE FLOOD CONTROL CORRUPTION WAR?

IS MAYOR VICO SOTTO OPENING A NEW FRONT IN THE FLOOD CONTROL CORRUPTION WAR?

Very few city mayors have had the courage to publicly echo President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s revelations about corruption in flood control projects. Among them, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto stands out. He didn’t just express support—he described in detail the very system of corruption that, according to him, has been operating in plain sight.

During the President’s recent report, the “Top 15” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractors for flood control projects were revealed. Among them, Alpha & Omega ranked No. 2, and St. Timothy ranked No. 3—both, along with St. Gerrard, allegedly owned and controlled by one group. Mayor Sotto openly confirmed this link, saying, “Now, the public is slowly learning the whole truth.” And, borrowing from the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), he repeated the stinging rebuke: “Have some shame!”

That begs the question—does Mayor Sotto have personal knowledge of how these operators work? His statement suggests he does. He recounted how barangay captains and politicians themselves told him about the “six stages of corruption” in public works:

1.   Rigged procurement and bidding—collusion right at the start.

2.   Substandard or imaginary projects—some, as the President said, “exist only in the mind.”

3.   Kickbacks (“SOPs”) reaching over 50% of project cost—a claim also made by Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Senator Ping Lacson.

4.   Non-payment of correct BIR taxes.

5.   Underpayment of business taxes to LGUs—including one top contractor declaring zero gross revenue to Pasig.

6.   Entering politics with stolen money—then giving a token 1% back as “assistance” to look benevolent.

If these contractors are among the “Top 15,” will Mayor Sotto name which of them operate in Pasig City? It’s an important point because Pasig sits right along the Pasig River, where dredging contracts are plentiful. And why does this sound so familiar? Anyone who followed the controversies surrounding the Pasig River Rehabilitation project knows that it, too, was a magnet for political, financial, and legal drama.

Could there be implications here for Senator Mark Villar, who oversaw many infrastructure projects during his DPWH tenure? Even indirectly, his past approvals may come under scrutiny. Another question: why exactly 15 contractors? Large government projects are supposed to be bid as one project, unless subdividing is justifiable—but in practice, “sub-packaging” can be a tool for favoritism and profit-spreading.

How many of these contractors are owned by politicians hiding behind fronts? How many of these politicians are collecting both kickbacks and ongoing commissions, as alleged by Mayor Magalong?

Since the President has taken the cudgels in this fight. Could this finally mean an end to Metro Manila’s chronic flooding problem?

The stakes are high. President Marcos has already accepted the offer of San Miguel Corporation president Ramon S. Ang (RSA) to help fund and implement flood control solutions using his own money. If that happens, what will happen to the flood control funds that have already been allocated—and possibly depleted? Hopefully, RSA will bring in science and technology to finally deliver lasting solutions. For my part, I am offering the help of the Roster of Inventors, Scientists, and Engineers (ROSIE) to assist in creating the right mix of engineering, environmental, and governance reforms.

Flood control in Metro Manila is not just about dredging rivers or building more pumping stations. It’s about comprehensive planning, technology adoption, environmental rehabilitation, and—most urgently—corruption control. Without fixing the last one, every pump, dam, and retention basin will just be another “imaginary” project in the making.

The Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan—approved way back in 2012—already outlines the right steps:

·       Build a dam in the upper Marikina River catchment.

·       Eliminate long-term flooding in the Laguna de Bay flood plain.

·       Modernize all pumping stations and improve urban drainage.

·       Invest in early warning systems and community-based risk management.

·       Strengthen institutional coordination.

And yet, more than a decade later, we still have substandard work, missed deadlines, clogged waterways, and overpriced contracts. Over ₱510 million worth of projects were recently flagged for delays. Many pumping stations—built in the 1970s—are inefficient, and informal settlements still block crucial waterways.

That’s why Mayor Sotto’s stand matters. He’s not merely echoing the President; he’s naming patterns, pointing to specific actors, and committing his LGU to action. He has promised to send the President all the red flags his office has identified, and to pursue legal cases so Pasig can collect the millions—if not billions—in unpaid business taxes owed by these companies.

Metro Manila’s flooding problem is part engineering challenge, part environmental issue—but at its rotten core, it is a governance and integrity problem. Mayor Sotto has chosen to wade into the murky waters. Let’s see if others have the courage to follow.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com

10-11-2025