Marcos to St. Timothy: Explain failed flood control project in Bulacan

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is seeking explanation from St. Timothy Construction Corporation as regards to its supposed failed flood control project in Calumpit, Bulacan. 

This, as Marcos conducted a site inspection of the Rehabilitation of the River Protection Structure in Barangay Bulusan following his revelation that Bulacan province has the most flood control projects, with 668 projects. 

The Rehabilitation of the River Protection Structure had a project cost of over P96.4 million.

''St. Timothy ang kontratista dito kaya titingnan natin, kailangan pasagutin natin kung bakit ganito ginawa nila... mas mabuti pa dapat pumunta sila rito, makita nila gaano kahirap ang buhay na binigay nila sa mga kababayan natin,'' a furious Marcos said Friday.

(This is St. Timothy, St. Timothy is the contractor so we will look into it. They need to answer why this happened... They should come here to see how this affects the lives of our kababayans.)

''Pambihira (Unbelievable), this has been going on for years...'' he added.

''Kailangan nila sagutin bakit ganito... anong, what possible excuse do they have for not doing this... hindi ko maisip,'' Marcos added. 

(They should explain this, what possible excuse do they have for not doing this... I can't think of any.) 

GMA News Online asked St. Timothy for its comment on the President's remarks but it has yet to reply as of posting time. 

Marcos, meanwhile, said he has learned that no dredging or desiltation has happened in the area as part of the flood control project. 

The President directed the deployment of scuba divers to inspect what happened to the failed flood control projects. 

According to the Presidential Communications Office, a resident also wrote a letter to the President complaining about the substandard materials supposedly used in the failed flood control project. 

Meanwhile, in a separate inspection in Barangay Frances, Marcos said he wants accountability over another failed flood control project, which did not observe dredging and desiltation as well.

''Tapos, meron dapat desiltation, dapat... doon na naman sa kontrata, may desiltation, dredging, completed. Tingnan mo naman, paano magiging completed 'yan. Tingnan ninyo, may isla sa gitna, tinutubuan na ng damo na napaka... masukal na 'yan oh, ibig sabihin matagal na sila hindi nagdredredge,'' Marcos said.

(This should also have desiltation. In the contract, there's desiltation and dredging, and it was mentioned as completed. How can this be complete? There's an island in the middle, grass is everywhere. It shows that they did not conduct any dredging.) 

''Managot sila, huwag silang managot sa akin, managot sila dito sa mga tao dito. 'Yung kahirapan na dinala niyo sa mga buhay nila,'' he added. 

(They should be held liable. They're not answerable to me but to the residents who are experiencing difficulties over this project.) 

Marcos also criticized the amount of cement used in the project. 

''Hawakan mo 'yung semento dito, unang-una, 'yung semento ganyan lang kakapal eh dapat 18 centimeters, mga eight inches, parang kalsada... dapat ganyan kakapal... ganyan lang ang nandiyan,'' he said.

(When you hold the cement, you'll see that it should be this thick, 18 centimeters or eight inches, like the road.) 

On Monday, the President disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors, including St. Timothy Construction Corporation.

Earlier, it was reported that incomplete road projects, overpriced laptops and questionable incorporators are past controversies linked to some construction firms that were awarded with most of the flood control projects. — VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News