The P500 million in flood-control funds for Navotas was only “the tip of the iceberg,” Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, saying he will reveal in the coming days more insertions allegedly done by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.
“I’m not diverting from the issue of controversial allocations. There’s also no question that Navotas, like many other areas, is prone to floods and needs government help,” Garbin said in a statement on Saturday.
“But I take issue with Congressman Tiangco’s hypocrisy against insertions when he himself had billions coursed to his small district. Worse, the contracts were bagged by contractors flagged by President Marcos and the Department of Public Works and Highways.”
“At the proper time, I will expose more of his insertions which run into the billions,” Garbin said.
Tiangco earlier defended the P529 million in additional allocations Navotas received.
Tiangco said he could not have made any insertion in the budget because he was not a member of the bicameral conference committee.
But Garbin countered that Tiangco’s denial sidestepped the bigger question of why contractors flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were allowed to handle major works in Navotas.
“You rail against alleged insertions by Ako Bicol and other lawmakers, yet billions flowed into your backyard and cornered by contractors the President himself called out,” Garbin said.
“The people deserve to know whether these funds actually translated into protection from floods or just lined the pockets of favored builders,” he added.
