Marcos Orders

Department of Public Works and Highways to submit a list of all flood control projects from every region that were started or completed in the last three years.

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"The regional project monitoring committee shall examine that list of projects and give a report on those that had been failures, those that were not finished and those that were alleged to be ghost projects," the Chief Executive said.

"We will publish this list. We will make this list public. The public will be a witness to these projects and they are free to examine the list and provide information that will help us in our investigation," he added.

Marcos said the government will conduct an audit and performance review of the projects to check how the budgets for them were spent.

"In the following months, all those who will be proven to have committed wrongdoings based on the investigation, including the contractors who were in cahoots with them, will be charged," he said.

"The people need to know the entire truth. Someone should be held to account for the damage and the corruption."

New normal

In the same address, which lasted for over an hour, Marcos emphasized the need for more improvement in disaster preparedness efforts, noting that the country is prone to calamities.

"We are determined in preparing for the threats posed by disasters and calamities, especially under a new normal and a changing climate," he said.

"We should not stop our preparations because the threat is always there. It should come naturally and automatic," he added.

Marcos noted that four cyclones hit the Philippines this month alone and 12 more are expected to visit the country by year-end. Of the 24 active volcanoes, four are exhibiting unrest, he added.

The President vowed to increase the number of modern evacuation centers. "We should no longer use schools as evacuation centers," he added.

‘Work better for people’

His allies in the House of Representatives, as expected, welcomed his message, with Speaker Martin Romualdez saying it boils down to exhorting the government to "work better for the people."