DPWH to probe ineffective flood control projects in Cebu

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has sent a team to investigate the flood control projects in Cebu wherein at least 139 people were confirmed killed in the recent typhoon.

- EMMANUEL TUPAS

The government will run after the people who are responsible for the flood control projects, which were found to be ineffective against heavy rains brought by Typhoon Tino, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday.

Government spending on flood control projects in Cebu reached more than P50 billion over the past decade. However, Dizon said the structures failed, as the province was inundated by floods.

"It's clear the flood control projects over the past 10 years in Cebu were not effective," he said in Filipino over dzMM.

The DPWH has submitted to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) a full list of Cebu flood control projects for investigation.

For Dizon, it should never be an excuse that the recent typhoon dumped one month's worth of rain in Cebu and other areas, stressing that flood mitigation projects should be ready for the effects of super typhoons.

"You can't make an excuse just because of heavy rains and strong typhoons. A lot of our citizens lost their homes, as well as their lives," he said.

Dizon lamented that the people responsible for the flood control projects opted to fill their pockets with public funds, instead of ensuring that the structures are effective.

"Instead of planning the projects correctly, implementing them correctly, they opted to profit from them," he said.

While an investigation is underway, Dizon said the primary concern is providing immediate relief to evacuees in Cebu and other provinces.

Ombudsman's Cebu probe

The Office of the Ombudsman said a task force has been instructed to prioritize the investigation on the flood control projects in Cebu and other areas in the Visayas affected by massive flooding.

In a statement issued yesterday, the ombudsman vowed that "justice will be pursued," especially for those who lost their loved ones in the floods.