House probe on Cagayan floods set for Tuesday next week

The House Committee on Agriculture and Food will conduct on Tuesday next week an investigation into the massive flooding that submerged many areas in Cagayan and Isabela during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

House panel chair Mark Enverga made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.

"We have already communicated with the proper resource persons an invitation for Tuesday next week," Enverga said.

According to him, the committee wanted to hold the investigation as early as Friday this week, but many of the resource persons will not be able to make it due to schedule conflicts.

"We already set the date for Tuesday next week just to ensure everyone will be there. We can ensure everyone na hindi Ito malilimutan and we will act on this as soon as possible," he said.

The investigation stemmed from the resolution filed no less than by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano urging the House to look into what caused the massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.

Specifically, the lawmakers want to find out the circumstances that led to the rapid inflow of water into the reservoir, as well as the possible non-compliance with laws, rules, or regulations that may have contributed to the swelling of Cagayan River.

Magat Dam

At the same time, they also want the House to look into the decision of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to open the spillway gates of Magat Dam, and if such a move was done following established guidelines and protocols.

A separate resolution calling for an investigation was filed by Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadetter Herrera on the "untimely and irresponsible" opening of floodgates of dams and watersheds in Luzon during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya on Monday said the gates of Magat Dam had to be opened since last week amid heavy rains from the typhoon to prevent the dam from breaking and causing a bigger catastrophe.

Magat Dam had seven gates open at one point on November 12 and released water volume equivalent to 106.223 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or around two swimming pools per second.

"Ang laki ng ating reservoir ng Magat [Dam] is about 4,800 hectares. 'Pag ito ang na-break, lumampas sa spilling level na 193 meters above mean sea level, mag-spill po 'yan. Masisira po 'yan at milyon-milyon po na tao ang maaapektuhan," he said.

But Herrera said the point of the investigation is not solely to point blame on the authorities involved, but also to find solutions to the problem.

"Kasi katulad ng sinabi, [the opening of the gates of Magat Dam) was a necessary thing. Now how can we avoid the necessary thing that could affect thousands of lives? So yun ang kailangang i-analyze," she said.

"Hindi naman ito mas more of sino ang may kasalanan. Of course part of it is that. But most of it is we have to find out paano natin ito maiiwasan. What are the things that we need to do in Congress to ensure, in aid of legislation, na maiwasan natin yung mga bagay na ito," she added.

Enverga believes that the investigation will be finished before Congress goes on a Christmas break by December 18.

"At the worst case, if there are several issues that may arise from this hearing, definitely we will get a clear picture before Christmas. So yun naman ang maganda doon that we can start as early as next week," he said. — RSJ, GMA News