In 2019, former House Majority Leader Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya Jr. revealed a staggering figure: ₱332 billion supposedly allocated for flood control projects that, according to him, did not exist. The breakdown was ₱213 billion for 2017 and 2018, and another ₱119 billion for the proposed 2019 budget.

This revelation covered the first three years of the Duterte administration—years when the country continued to suffer from devastating floods. For Andaya, it was a red flag: a massive sum with no visible infrastructure to show for it.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) swiftly denied the allegation, calling it misleading. They argued that the ₱119 billion for 2019 was merely a proposal, not yet final, and that the allocations for 2017 and 2018 had passed through the proper congressional process. To label them as “ghost projects,” the DBM said, was inaccurate since each had been formally documented and approved.

And there lies the familiar dilemma of Philippine governance. Lawmakers raise alarms over questionable allocations, while government agencies hide behind the formality of procedure. Meanwhile, communities remain underwater: roads rendered impassable, families scraping mud off their homes, and evacuees crammed into temporary shelters.

The painful truth is this: even if no “scam” is proven in the strict legal sense, the absence of tangible results speaks louder than any denial. Where are the flood control systems? Where are the defenses that should shield people from the yearly onslaught of storms? Until those are clearly seen, the public is left to wonder—where did the money go?

Process, by itself, is not proof. A budget line item is not a bridge. A congressional approval is not a dike. Every peso unaccounted for is a life put at risk, a livelihood washed away.

If there truly were no anomaly, then transparency should be effortless. Publish the list of flood control projects—where they are located, how much they cost, who the contractors are, and what their completion status is. Anything less leaves only suspicion, frustration, and the slow erosion of public trust.

Floodwaters will always test the strength of our infrastructure. But scandals like this test something even more fragile: the people’s faith in their government.

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