Senator Bam Aquino has vowed to relentlessly pursue the investigation into the multi-billion peso flood control scandal, saying no one should be spared — even if top congressional officials are implicated — to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
In a statement, Aquino said the probe must continue so that stolen public funds can be recovered and redirected to essential sectors like education.
He recounted being approached by an airport shuttle bus driver during a recent trip to Naga City, who urged him to push through with the inquiry into the anomalous infrastructure projects.
“The next day, doon sa public schools, iyong teachers said the same thing. ‘Senator, iyong investigations huwag niyo pong pakawalan. Ikulong niyo iyan. Alam mong galit ang tao,’” Aquino shared.
Aquino said it is now the government’s responsibility to act decisively based on the evidence presented.
“It’s time for action, and the onus is on the government to act on the evidence, to act on the cases. Iyon ang hinahanap ng tao ngayon,” he said. “The best Christmas gift for people is may mga cases na mapa-file at may makukulong.”
Aside from filing charges, Aquino emphasized the need to recover misused funds and implement systemic reforms to eliminate corruption in the national budgeting process.
“We need to see people jailed. Kailangang mabalik ang pera. But we need to see some systems put in. So this is a system—live streaming the bicam and putting the documents online. That’s a systemic change,” he explained.
In July, Aquino filed a Senate resolution calling for a full investigation into the government’s flood control projects.
He is also advocating for the passage of his proposed Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act (Senate Bill No. 1330) — a measure he described as a powerful tool against corruption by making the national budget traceable and transparent through blockchain technology.
“The Blockchain Bill—hopefully we get it passed in the next few months,” Aquino said. “Kapag naipasa iyon, mapo-force ang government agencies to put out their documents… Not just the budget, but even the contracts, even the contractors, even the bill of materials. Kahit iyong presyo ng semento alam ng tao.”
He added that the bill would impose strict penalties on agencies that fail to publish required documents.
“Kung hindi mo pinost after seven days, there’s an administrative penalty. Kung hindi siya i-post after 15 or 30 days, it becomes criminal… the person who should have posted it in the agency will be tried as a co-conspirator,” Aquino warned.
Aquino said the measure would institutionalize transparency and empower Filipinos to see exactly how their taxes are spent — a crucial step toward restoring public trust in government spending.