Amid corruption controversies, group formed to demand accountability

Local

A GROUP of private individuals launched the Cebu Citizen Anti-Corruption Watch on Friday, September 5, 2025, to audit the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and demand accountability.

In a press conference, lead convenor Jun Abines said the group will not just monitor paper reports but verify if projects exist and meet standards.

“We want to raise awareness, fight corruption, guard taxpayers’ money, and prosecute guilty parties, not just contractors who are at the bottom of the food chain, but also those in DPWH and local officials,” he said.

Abines explained that they are enlisting engineers to assess construction quality, accountants to audit financial records, and lawyers to file cases against those involved in anomalies.

He said they will seek government protection, noting that they will ask the National Bureau of Investigation to assist in the investigation and shield volunteers from possible harassment.

Group member Arlene Salahuddin said the initiative reflects citizens’ frustration with long-standing disaster risks.

She noted that the Philippines endures around 20 typhoons yearly, yet flooding persists due to what she described as “a cancer difficult to fix.”

She explained that the problem also stems from poor urban planning, deforestation, and weak coordination among government agencies.

In its first report, the watchdog cited DPWH data showing Cebu received P26 billion for 361 flood control projects from 2023 to 2025, averaging P74.4 million each.

By comparison, it said DPWH allocated P6.18 billion for 139 projects from 2020 to 2022, averaging P44.4 million each.

The group also noted that 20 percent of DPWH Cebu’s budget went to flood control, 27 percent to road maintenance, and 53 percent to new roads and community projects.

It also flagged the poor condition of roads in southern Cebu, particularly from San Fernando to Santander, despite billions allotted for maintenance.

Moving forward, the group said it will expand its work by gathering more data from DPWH and the Commission on Audit, deploying volunteers to inspect project sites, and filing complaints against contractors, DPWH officers, and local officials linked to ghost or substandard projects.(MyTVCebu)