The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), together with other anti-corruption and civil society groups, staged a protest action at the Senate as the Blue Ribbon Committee convened its investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects. The protest sought to underscore public outrage over massive corruption in infrastructure spending and the continuing failure to hold responsible officials accountable.

PAHRA emphasized that corruption in flood control projects is not just a technical issue but also a human rights concern, as substandard and anomalous projects have left communities vulnerable to flooding, displacement, and loss of life. The alliance stressed that every delay in accountability prolongs the suffering of ordinary Filipinos who continue to bear the consequences of corrupt governance.

“Aabutin na ba tayo ng isang taon na wala pa ring nakukulong na kurap na opsiyal ng gobyerno?” said Edgar “Egay” Cabalitan, PAHRA Secretary-General. “Hanggang kailan puro imbestigasyon, puro hearing, pero wala namang napapanagot? Tandaan natin na bawat oras na walang napaparusahan, buhay ng mamamayan ang nakabimbin.”
Cabalitan added that Senate probes must go beyond televised hearings and political posturing, and result in concrete action against those who plunder public funds. He warned that without arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, investigations risk becoming mere spectacles that normalize impunity.

“Hindi na kailangan ng Pilipino ng panibagong palabas,” Cabalitan said. “Ang kailangan namin ay hustisya. Flood control funds were meant to save lives, not to enrich corrupt officials. Kapag ninanakaw ang pondo para sa kaligtasan ng tao, diretsong paglabag ito sa karapatang pantao.”###

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