Senator Aquino demands transparency over flood control spending amid 'habagat' floods

Senator Bam Aquino has urged the government to enforce stricter transparency and accountability mechanisms following widespread flooding across the country caused by Typhoons Luis and Maymay, alongside the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

The flooding—which inundated major portions of the National Capital Region, Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, and Central Luzon—left at least 19 people dead and displaced thousands. Aquino stressed that citizens deserve clear and timely information during severe weather events, noting that the scale of the destruction raises serious questions about the efficacy of the country's flood mitigation infrastructure.

“Mahigit isang taon na nang nanawagan tayo ng imbestigasyon ukol sa flood control projects ng gobyerno. Pero hindi pa ito nareresolba. Hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang pagbaha na nagdudulot ng matinding perwisyo sa publiko,” said Aquino, who filed Senate Resolution No. 28 on July 29, 2025, to investigate state-funded flood control programs.

Aquino demanded a full accounting of the billions of pesos earmarked for flood mitigation, insisting that the public has a right to know how their tax money is being utilized.

“Dapat malinaw sa taumbayan kung saan napupunta at paano ginagamit ang bilyon-bilyong pisong inilaan para sa flood control. Pera ito ng bayan, buwis natin, na dapat tumulong sa taumbayan,” he said. “Kailangan natin ng sistemang nagbibigay ng tuloy-tuloy na transparency at accountability sa paggastos ng pondo ng bayan upang hindi na maulit ang pagnakaw na nagdudulot ng matinding pagbaha ngayon sa ating lansangan.”

To address systemic corruption in public works, Aquino reiterated his call for the swift passage of the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, also known as the “Blockchain the Budget Bill.”

“Panahon na upang maisabatas ang CADENA Act o Blockchain the Budget Bill, na magbibigay sa publiko ng mas malinaw at madaling paraan para mabantayan kung saan napupunta at ginagastos ang pera ng gobyerno,” Aquino stated.

The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill No. 1506 (the CADENA Act) on its third and final reading on December 15, 2025, with a 17-0 vote. However, the measure has remained languishing in the House of Representatives for seven months, despite being identified as one of 21 priority measures by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) in February 2026.

With Congress preparing for upcoming budget deliberations, Aquino urged the House to expedite the bill's passage.

“Ngayong papalapit na ang budget season, mas mahalagang magkaroon tayo ng mas matibay na sistema upang mabantayan kung saan napupunta at paano ginagastos ang bawat piso ng bayan,” he emphasized.

Under the CADENA Act, government entities will be mandated to upload and continuously update granular budget records onto an open-source Digital Budget Platform. These disclosures include contracts, project costs, bills of materials, and procurement logs. The platform is designed to make public spending records tamper-resistant, traceable, and fully verifiable.

Furthermore, officials who fail to submit required documentation or provide falsified records will face severe administrative and criminal sanctions.

“Sa tulong ng CADENA Act, magkakaroon tayo ng sistema para matiyak na ginagamit nang tama ang pera ng taumbayan, kasabay ng pagpapanagot sa mga nagnakaw sa buwis ng publiko at pagbawi sa ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan,” Aquino concluded.

-Paraluman News