Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday called for an inquiry into the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) after heavy rains caused flooding in several parts of the metro.

In a privilege speech, Cayetano said that the agency actually aggravated the situation through bad management and neglect of equipment.

"Paano kung hindi man-made ang ibang baha? Paano kung MMDA-made? O gawa ng ibang opisyal ng MMDA na nakalimutan ang dapat nilang gawin?" Cayetano said.

He said that just when Metro Manila was being pounded by heavy rains caused by the southwest monsoon, pumping stations in many areas ran out of fuel.

Cayetano said it was the fault of the Office of the MMDA Chairman because it took weeks to approve purchase orders requested as early as July.

"Sinabihan na sila na kritikal na maglagay ng fuel sa pumping stations bago pa dumating ang tag-ulan," he said.

The senator added that the MMDA's flood control equipment was not maintained properly and therefore rendered useless.

"Nalaman ko na ang equipment ng MMDA ay sira-sira. Noong binigay ito ng DPWH, 80 percent ang gumagana. Ngayon 50 percent na lang," he said.
 
Even worse, said the senator, was the MMDA leadership's putting the blame on lower-ranking executives like flood control and sewerage management office head Baltazar Melgar for what happened when Melgar actually warned them about the problem.

"Damage control or flood control ba ang expertise ng MMDA?" he said.

"[The] MMDA lied to us, stole from us and cheated us. I ask for a full-blown investigation into this," he said.

Cayetano's speech has been referred to the climate change and blue ribbon committees. - BM, GMA News