Senator Bam Aquino renewed calls for public fund transparency following widespread flooding across the National Capital Region, Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, and Central Luzon.
Triggered by Typhoons Luis and Maymay alongside the southwest monsoon (habagat), the disaster claimed at least 19 lives and displaced thousands, reigniting public scrutiny over national flood control spending.
Aquino voiced frustration over the lack of resolution regarding government flood mitigation efforts, referencing Senate Resolution No. 28, which he introduced in July 2025 to investigate these infrastructure programs.
“Mahigit isang taon na nang nanawagan tayo ng imbestigasyon ukol sa flood control projects ng gobyerno. Pero hindi pa ito nareresolba. Hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang pagbaha na nagdudulot ng matinding perwisyo sa publiko,” Aquino said.
Demanding a full accounting of state resources, the senator emphasized that taxpayers deserve clear visibility into how billions of pesos earmarked for flood control are spent.
“Dapat malinaw sa taumbayan kung saan napupunta at paano ginagamit ang bilyon-bilyong pisong inilaan para sa flood control. Pera ito ng bayan, buwis natin, na dapat tumulong sa taumbayan,” he stressed.
“Kailangan natin ng sistemang nagbibigay ng tuloy-tuloy na transparency at accountability sa paggastos ng pondo ng bayan upang hindi na maulit ang pagnakaw na nagdudulot ng matinding pagbaha ngayon sa ating lansangan,” he added.
To prevent misallocation and corruption, Aquino urged the passage of Senate Bill No. 1506, known as the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, or the “Blockchain the Budget Bill.”
“Panahon na upang maisabatas ang CADENA Act o Blockchain the Budget Bill, na magbibigay sa publiko ng mas malinaw at madaling paraan para mabantayan kung saan napupunta at ginagastos ang pera ng gobyerno,” he said.
The bill, which passed the Senate unanimously with a 17-0 vote in December 2025, remains stalled in the House of Representatives despite its inclusion in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s priority agenda in February 2026.
Aquino urged House members to pass the measure as upcoming national budget deliberations approach.
Once enacted, the CADENA Act will mandate state agencies to post procurement records, contracts, project costs, and bills of materials onto an open-source, tamper-resistant Digital Budget Platform.
Non-compliant officials or those uploading fraudulent records would face severe administrative and criminal penalties.