Why are contractors grilled while lawmakers walk free?
This was the searing question of Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC) Director Monsignor Meliton Oso as he criticized the September 1 Senate hearing on alleged flood control anomalies.
“Why only target contractors? The proponents of these projects—the congressmen and senators—must also be investigated,” Oso said, stressing that no multimillion-peso project could proceed without legislative approval and budget insertions.
The priest claimed that contractors only receive about 10 percent of project funds, while legislators pocket 20–25 percent.
“As Senator [Panfilo] Lacson once said, everyone has their own slice of the cake,” he pointed out, arguing that lawmakers profit even more than builders.
“Their accountability is much greater. If you steal from me, I alone am affected. But if you steal from the national coffers, you rob the whole nation, especially the poor,” Oso declared.
He noted that the alleged ₱1.9 trillion lost to corruption could have uplifted 14.4 million poor families with food, roads, and basic services.
Instead, Oso said, the country is left with substandard flood control, crumbling roads, and collapsing bridges.
“Flood control is just the tip of the iceberg. There are also schools, roads, and even bridges that are already sinking,” he added.
According to Oso, corruption in public works is systemic and cannot be addressed if legislators investigate themselves.
“A congressman investigating another congressman, a senator investigating another senator—they all have the same dirt in their hands,” he said, calling instead for an independent commission to handle the probe.
Oso urged citizens, engineers, and professionals to expose anomalies through the President’s complaint website, stressing that graft can only be fought if the public refuses to remain silent.
“This is public money. Accountability is greater because it is meant for the people’s welfare,” he stressed.IMT
