PHILIPPINES, August 19 - Press Release
August 19, 2025

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES
BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS
AUGUST 19, 2025
SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
Opening Statement

Good morning, good morning, everyone, our resource persons, good morning po. I just would like to quote the very famous impression made by our Majority Leader, Senator Joel Villanueva and according to him na kung itong ating flood control funds, pondo na dedicated to flood control divided by the number of days in 1 year which is 365 days, it will amount to 1 billion pesos per day government expenditure dedeicated to flood control projects only.

So, sa ordinaryong tao kapag ito'y kanilang narinig ay talagang, lalong lalo na, including me at lalong lalo na yung mga taong kasalukuyang nabibiktima sa mga baha, iniisip nila na sana yung 1 billion a day na 'yan, binigay nalang yan sa amin at kami na ang gumagawa ng flood control dito sa aming lugar para ma mitigate yong sitwasyon na ito but anyway, we are not entirely blaming everything (on) the projects, meron tayong, we have a plethora of reasons bakit nangyayari ito, meron tayong climate change meron tayong sinasabing yung reclamation and other reasons pero yun nga sa ordinaryong tao kailngan maklaro natin ito kaya ako personally, for myself and I hope the chairman and the rest of the members of this committee would share with me in my quest in this na sana during this hearing ma-establish talaga natin ito for the benefit of our people na nanonood ngayon.

Number 1, these are not ghost projects. Number 2, sana itong mga project na ito hindi ito yung quasi-physical and quasi-spiritual. Meaning, yung project na sinimulan lang pakitang tao then afterwards pinabayaan, wala ng nangyari. At number 3 kung ito'y talagang ang estado nitong mga proyektong na ito ay fully implemented, physically implemented, did it serve its purpose? Bakit patuloy parin yung baha?

So, yun po, Mr. Chairman, ang gusto natin malaman today and I hope that all our resource persons would cooperate 100% in this Senate Investigation because itong aming Committee ng Blue Ribbon Committee, we are not witch hunters here, we are not ghostbusters, we are truth seekers so in our quest for the truth, sana you play a very vital role para makamit natin ang katotohanan dito para sa ating inang bayan.

Maraming salamat, Mr. Chairman.

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