Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro on Friday revealed that no politician has been jailed over the controversial flood control projects in the province despite allegations involving ghost and substandard projects.
He lamented that authorities have yet to hold politicians accountable for the alleged misuse of billions of pesos in flood control funds in the province, saying the focus should remain on identifying and prosecuting those actually responsible.
“Singilin natin ang mga taong involved dito kasi after a year, nabanggit na ang mga pangalan eh. May mga nabanggit na mga pangalan, mga involved dito. Pero ilan pa lang ang nakakasuhan?” Castro said in an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
Asked about the status of cases against those involved, Castro agreed that several individuals linked to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors had been placed under the government’s witness protection program.
But he pointed out that no Bulacan politician had been charged based on information available to him.
He also agreed that former Bulacan lawmaker and now Senator Joel Villanueva had previously been mentioned in connection with the controversy, but no case had been filed against him.
Former senator Bong Revilla, meanwhile, had been allowed to post bail in a separate flood control-related case.
Asked about Revilla’s connection to Bulacan, Castro replied: “Parang sa Pandi, Bulacan ang case ni Sen. Bong Revilla.”
Castro stressed that the government should continue investigating the alleged misuse of flood control funds and pursue those responsible.
“Yun nga, Atty. Karen, ang panawagan ko sa government at sa mga kababayan natin sa Bulacan,” he said.
He warned that public attention could be diverted from the people who allegedly controlled or benefited from the billions of pesos in flood control funds.
“Kasi nawawala yung attention natin dun sa mga kung sino ba talaga yung gumastos nitong bilyon-bilyon nito, naglustay nito,” Castro said.
He said some individuals were being blamed even though they were not among those identified during Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and congressional hearings as allegedly involved in the controversy.
“May mga nasisising ibang tao, pero hindi sila yung may kinalaman, hindi sila yung mga binanggit doon sa mga Blue Ribbon Committee at sa mga hearings sa Congress,” he said.
Castro urged authorities to focus on the names and individuals who may actually be responsible.
“Yung mga pangalan na ’to, na dapat o kaya kung sino man ’yun talagang may kasalanan, iyon na ang dapat singilin natin,” he said.
Castro agreed that the investigation should continue as he noted that those allegedly responsible have yet to be held accountable.
“Yes. Kasi wala pa talagang nakakasuhan,” Castro said.
Castro also said Malacañang had acknowledged that Gov. Daniel Fernando should not be blamed for the flood control controversy.
He said even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had expressed surprise over the magnitude of the funds allocated for flood control projects and the alleged existence of ghost projects.
“Naiintindihan nila na dapat hindi talaga masisisi si Gov. Daniel Fernando,” Castro said.
“Dahil even the President nagulat din siya doon sa laki ng pondo ng flood control at sa mga ghost project,” he added.
Castro said similar concerns had also been raised by mayors in Metro Manila and other provinces.#