VP Sara says Marcos should be included in flood control probe

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. should also be covered by investigations into the alleged flood-control anomalies, arguing that the “primary evidence” of wrongdoing can already be found in the 2025 national budget.

Speaking to reporters after visiting flooded communities in Cebu, Duterte also referred to Marcos’ statement earlier in the day that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has "not yet" been included in the case referrals made by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

“Oh! Baka lang, hindi na naman niya binasa na sinabi niyang binasa 'yung budget ng 2025,” Duterte said.

(Oh! Maybe he didn’t really read the 2025 budget, even if he said he did.)

She said there were discrepancies between the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the executive and the General Appropriations Act (GAA) passed by Congress.

“Makikita mo na project ng, o yung budget ng Pangulo o Executive Department ay nasa NEP. Yun ay sina-submit sa Congress. Pagdating sa GAB… at pagdating sa GAA… makikita mo ang daming project doon na wala sa NEP. Yun pa lang, ebidensya na yun,” she said.

(You will see the President’s or Executive’s budget in the NEP submitted to Congress. But in the GAB and then the GAA, you will find many projects that were not in the NEP. That alone is already evidence.)

She said such additions, commonly referred to as “insertions,” indicate influence from House leadership.

“Pagdaan sa House, lumobo yung pera… Siyempre yung leader, yung speaker,” she said.

(When it passed the House, the funds ballooned… Of course it’s the leader, the speaker.)

Duterte cited her past experience in the Department of Education, saying its school building program was “chopped” and “distributed” during House budget deliberations.

Calls to include Marcos in the investigation

It was Marcos who kick-started the investigations by pointing out in August that 20% of the government's flood control projects had only gone to 15 contractors.

Duterte, whose alliance with Marcos swept them both into office but has since then crumbled, argued that her erstwhile ally should not be exempt from accountability because he signed the 2025 GAA into law.

“Dapat isali si Bongbong Marcos. Kasi siya ang pumirma ng 2025 GAA,” she said.

(Bongbong Marcos should be included. Because he is the one who signed the 2025 GAA.)

She stressed that the President’s approval is what ultimately activates spending authority.

“Lahat ng mga anomalya doon, kasama iyong pangulo. Kasi naging batas lang naman yun dahil sa pirma niya,” Duterte said.

(All anomalies there include the President. It became law only because of his signature.)

Pressed on whether Marcos should also face legal consequences, Duterte responded sharply:

“Oo, pwede na niyang ikulong ang sarili niya… meron siyang malaking pagkukulang sa kanyang trabaho para sa ating bayan,” she said.

(Yes, he can jail himself… he has a huge shortcoming in his job for our country.)

Duterte also emphasized that investigators should scrutinize the transition from the NEP to the GAA, saying this is where anomalies become visible.

“Ang pinakaebidensya natin dito ay ang 2025 budget,” she said.

(Our primary evidence here is the 2025 budget.)

She urged investigators not to “look far,” saying the budget documents themselves already reveal the scale of congressional changes.

“Doon pa lang, masasabi mo na… merong insertion,” she said.

(From there alone, you can already say… there was an insertion.)

The Vice President’s remarks come amid growing public anger over alleged substandard flood-control projects nationwide, including in Cebu, where residents have been staging street protests.

Duterte said she supports these demonstrations, calling them a legitimate exercise of free speech and civic pressure.

“Yes. Unang-una, I support the right of the people to free speech… Katungod na sa mga tawo… magpadayag sa ilahang kasuko,” she said.

(Yes. First, I support the right of people to free speech… It is the right of the people to express their anger.) — BM, GMA Integrated News