Senator Robinhood Padilla on Sunday gave the Marcos administration a failing grade for its response to the country’s flood control anomalies, saying that few people have only been detained so far.
“Two [ang binibigay kong grado.” Eh baha pa eh. Wala pa naman ako nakita masyadong nakulong diyan,” Padilla told Super Radyo dzBB.
(I would give it a grade of two. There are still floods, and only a few people were detained.)
The senator added that the investigation on the flood control scandal should not be selective.
“Napakadaming listahan niyan. Unang una ang tingin ko diyan pulitika. Ang tingin ko diyan sa pagkakakulong nung mga 'yun Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at dating Sen. Bong Revilla] ay pulitika,” Padilla said.
(There are a lot of people on the list. First, I think the detainment of Senator Estrada and former Senator Revilla is about politics.)
“Imbestigahan lahat. Huwag tayong mamili. Huwag tayo maging pulitikal. Ang ating bayan ay ipinaglaban ng mga bayani natin para magkaroon tayo ng hustisya, nasaan 'yun?” he added.
(“Investigate everyone. Let’s not be selective. Let’s not be political. Our country was fought for by our heroes so that we could have justice. Where is that justice now?)
Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito shared the same sentiment, hoping that more names linked to the flood control mess would be detained.
"Ang gusto kong marinig, kung ano 'yung sagot na dun sa nasabing 'mahiya naman kayo.' Sana mayroon na talagang mapangalanan," said Ejercito, who is Estrada's half-brother.
(What I want to hear is the answer to that statement saying, ‘You should be ashamed.’ I hope that someone can finally be named.)
"Sana madagdagan pa [ang mga makakasuhan kaugnay sa flood control scam]. Sa akin, dapat panagutin at dalhin sa kulungan ang lahat ng nagwaldas at nagbulsa ng pondong inilaan sa flood control," he added.
(I hope more people will be charged in connection with the flood control scam. For me, everyone who wasted and pocketed the funds allocated for flood control should be held accountable and sent to prison.)
Addressing economic, political, social issues
Aside from an update on the flood control mess, Padilla said he expects the President to discuss the administration’s measures to address the El Niño phenomenon affecting the country, the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Philippine-China relations.READ: SONA 2026: PH-China relations and the tension, diplomacy that come with it
On the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council agenda, Padilla said issues such as the Freedom of Information measure and the proposal to prohibit those aged 16 and below from using social media should also be tackled.
Meanwhile, for Ejercito, the country's infrastructure development should catch up to boost the economy.
"Yung infrastructure development, tingin ko ito ang kailangan ng ating bansa para makahabol tayo sa ekonomiya. We need to improve our infrastructure, railway system, airports, and ports," Ejercito said.
(The country needs infrastructure development to boost our economy. We need to improve our infrastructure, railway system, airports, ports.)
"We will hit two birds with one stone. Kapag may master plan na tayo for infrastructure and national development, maiiwasan na 'yung mga ganitong anomalya, na kumbaga, basta magproyekto na lang kahit hindi kailangan," he added.
(We will hit two birds with one stone. If we have a master plan for infrastructure and national development, we can avoid these anomalies like projects that are not needed.)
Despite supporting Charter Change, Padilla said he has reservations about pushing for it at this time, as it may be interpreted as an attempt to extend terms of office.
“Kung gagawin man nila ngayon 'yan, siyempre susuporta ako dahil 'yan ay aking ipinaglalaban. Pero dapat walang makikinabang na uupo na makikinabang diyan sa mga nakaupo ngayon. Wala dapat para fair tayo,” the senator said.
(If they decide to do that now, of course I will support it because that is something I have been fighting for. But no one who is currently in office should benefit from it. There should be no beneficiaries among those in power now, so that we can ensure fairness.)
VP Sara impeachment
Padilla also committed to assessing Vice President Sara Duterte based on the pieces of evidence of her impeachment trial.
“Natural, of course. Kaya nga tayo nagsasalita diyan para makuha natin ang totoong nangyari. Kung ako nakaupo lang diyan at hindi nagsasalita, dun kayo magduda. Pero hangga't ako ay tumatayo diyan at hinahalungkat kung ano ang totoo, ano ang dapat pagdudahan dun?” Padilla said.
(Of course, that’s natural. We speak up in these proceedings to find out what really happened. If I were just sitting there and not saying anything, that’s when you should start to doubt me. But as long as I continue to stand here and dig for the truth, what is there to question?)
He also pointed out that fairness should prevail in the impeachment trial.
“Nung sinabi kong buksan natin ang ating bank records, ibig sabihin nun, 'wag tayong one-sided. Si Vice President lang ang magbubukas?” the senator said.
(When I said that we should open our bank records, what I meant was that we should not be one-sided. Should it be only the Vice President who will disclose her records?)
There will be no impeachment proceedings on Monday, July 27 to pave way for Marcos's SONA. No trial will also be held on Tuesday, July 28 for the traditional Kontra-SONA (Counter-SONA) by the Senate minority.
The impeachment trial will resume on Wednesday, July 29, with its new schedule from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Day 9 of the Vice President's impeachment trial concluded with the House prosecution panel contracting for the alleged assassinations of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The panel’s presentation concluded with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag serving as its last witness.
Matibag said the Vice President “consummated betrayal of public trust" when she said publicly that she hired someone to kill Marcos and others if she were killed. —RF, GMA News