Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla reiterated the administration’s commitment to pursue full accountability for those implicated in corruption, particularly in anomalies surrounding flood control projects.
“You can be sure that the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not backing down from the challenge that those who are wrong, who made mistakes and who stole, will all be imprisoned by 2026,”he said during the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines 29th National Convention in Manila on Wednesday.
Remulla stressed that at a time when concerns persist over how public funds are spent, the President remains firm in cracking down on personalities involved in the flood control project anomaly.
He emphasized that the people deserve honest service and a government that protects their hard-earned money.
The DILG chief also underscored the vital role of local governments in sustaining public trust, noting that LGUs remain at the frontline of government service.
“Now is the best time to be in local government. No matter what positions you have, we give it our all,” he said.
Meanwhile, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon challenged former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co to return to the Philippines to face charges filed against him to clear his name amid a widening investigation into alleged irregularities in flood-control projects across several provinces.
The challenge came as the DPWH filed new cases of plunder, graft, and bribery against Co and several other lawmakers, alleging their involvement in awarding contracts to private contractors that were either overpriced, substandard, or never completed.
These contracts, intended to mitigate flooding in vulnerable areas, have come under scrutiny following audits that revealed discrepancies between project proposals, budgets, and actual construction output, he said.
“Everyone, anyone, can go on Facebook Live. The test is, will he—Zaldy Co—come home or not?” Dizon said.
