MANILA, Philippines – Two Philippine senators are facing allegations of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects, accusations they vehemently deny. The claims surfaced during a House inquiry led by former government engineer Rodolfo hernandez, who alleged that Senator Joel Estrada received a 30% kickback from 355 million pesos ($6.2 million) worth of projects,while Senator Mark Villanueva allegedly received 30% from 600 million pesos ($10.5 million) in similar projects, both occurring in 2023 in the flood-prone province of Bulacan.
Hernandez testified that the alleged kickbacks were delivered by government drivers, but provided no further details or supporting evidence. Estrada dismissed the allegations as a “big lie” and challenged Hernandez to a public lie-detector test, stating, “I’m ready to prove that his allegations were all lies.” Villanueva also denied the accusations in a Senate speech, asserting he possesses evidence to prove his innocence and stating, “I will never ever destroy the name that was given to me by my parents because it is priceless.”
The allegations come as the Philippines grapples with a climate crisis that exacerbates the impact of the roughly 20 typhoons and storms the country experiences annually. recent back-to-back typhoons and monsoon rains in July triggered massive floods, affecting millions, displacing over 300,000, and causing dozens of deaths, primarily among vulnerable populations.The unfolding inquiry follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent inspections of flood-prone areas and a government review of thousands of flood mitigation projects undertaken in the last three years, totaling an estimated 545 billion pesos ($9.6 billion).A website launched by the president to solicit public reports of irregularities has reportedly been overwhelmed with complaints. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who heads the country’s disaster-response agency, has expressed support for the investigations. Hernandez’s testimony might potentially be linked to a contempt citation issued by Estrada during a Senate inquiry on Monday regarding Hernandez’s gambling habits.