A nation already grappling with economic hardship is now facing a crisis of trust so profound it has spilled into the streets. At the center of the storm is a massive, multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal involving flood control projects, a brave whistleblower, and explosive allegations that link the scheme to the highest levels of government.

In a stunning interview, Senator Rodante Marcoleta has laid bare the details of the scandal, defending the credibility of the key witness and accusing the new investigation of being a “sham” designed to protect the powerful. His testimony, combined with growing public fury, paints a picture of a country at its breaking point.

The Suitcases: A Direct Link to the Top
The entire case hinges on the bombshell testimony of whistleblower Orly Gotesa, a man Senator Marcoleta calls “the most credible witness” in the entire affair. According to the senator, Gotesa is the only person who has provided the “final blow,” a direct, undeniable link between the alleged masterminds.

Gotesa testified that he was personally involved in delivering 46 suitcases, each packed with 48 million pesos, to the home of Zaldico, a high-ranking official implicated in the budget insertions.

But the delivery didn’t stop there.

In a claim that has shaken the political landscape, Gotesa further testified that 35 of those 46 suitcases were immediately transferred from Zaldico’s residence to the home of former Speaker Martin Romualdes.

This testimony, Marcoleta argues, is the key. “He is the most credible because he has nothing to gain and everything to lose,” Marcoleta stated, alluding to the grave danger Gotesa and his family are in. “He is the only one who provided the connection.”

Predictably, the witness has come under intense attack. A campaign to discredit him has focused on a minor, unrelated technicality involving a notarized document. Marcoleta dismisses this as a desperate diversion. “Why are they attacking the witness?” he demands. “Why not investigate the people he named? They are trying to destroy the integrity of the investigation because they know he is telling the truth.”

A “Rotten System” and a Sham Investigation
Senator Marcoleta, who was controversially removed as the head of the Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, claims he had already uncovered the entire scheme. “If you ask me, I could write the report right now,” he declared. “In just three hearings, we identified the rotten system. We know the laws that were broken and how they did it.”

Marcoleta says his investigation was aimed squarely at the “masterminds,” not just the “small fry.” His removal, he implies, was precisely to stop him from getting to the top.

He is now deeply skeptical of the new Independent Commission (ICC) formed to take over the probe. “How can it be independent?” Marcoleta asked. “It was created by the executive department. How can it properly investigate the DPWH, which is also the executive department? It lacks teeth.”

He lamented that the new commission’s hearings are not public, robbing the people of the transparency they deserve. “The people’s money was stolen. They have a right to see what is happening.”

How to Steal Billions: Bypassing the Safeguards
The senator also detailed how the alleged plunder was possible, exposing a system intentionally broken from within. He explained that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has multiple safeguards to prevent “ghost projects,” including real-time geotagging, quality assurance (QA) units, and contractor performance-checking systems (CPES).

According to Marcoleta, all of these were manipulated.

“They have all these systems, but they are prone to manipulation,” he said. “The geotagging? They can just use a different photo. They can claim a project is 70% complete when it hasn’t even started. The entire system is designed to be fooled by those on the inside.”

This systemic failure allowed billions, intended for projects to protect communities from floods, to be funneled into the pockets of corrupt officials, their congressional allies, and contractors.

The Heartbreak: Corruption’s True Cost
This is not a victimless crime. The most heart-wrenching part of the interview was Senator Marcoleta’s description of his visit to Cebu in the aftermath of a devastating flood—a tragedy he links directly to the stolen funds.

“I was in a gymnasium,” he recalled, his voice heavy with emotion. “I saw the line of victims who had perished. There was a one-year-old child. There was a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old. They were so young to meet such a tragic fate.”

“This is the pinakamasakit (the most painful part),” he continued. “This happened because of greed. The money that was meant to protect them, to build the flood controls, was taken. This is not the work of a human being.”

This human toll is what is driving the public’s rage. The connection is no longer abstract. Stolen money equals missing projects; missing projects equal devastated communities and lost lives.

A Nation Awake and Angry
This fury was on full display at a recent massive, peaceful rally. Thousands of members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and other groups gathered, having secured all necessary permits. Yet, they were met with what they described as “intimidation,” with police officers present in the “backstage” area, disrupting and unsettling the attendees.

Protesters were heard warning the officers, “We are warning you, go to your posts. Not here. We want to be peaceful… We have a permit!”

This scene is a microcosm of the national mood: a public, “gising na” (wide awake), demanding accountability, and a state apparatus seen as protecting the powerful instead of the people.

Meanwhile, the administration’s defenders, like one referred to as “Auntie CL,” are in full damage-control mode. She has been seen “working overtime” to discredit the whistleblowers, arguing that the President vetoed 194 billion pesos in flawed budget items.

But critics immediately shot this down. “If the budget was so unrecognizable, why did the President sign it at all?” one commentator asked. They argue the veto was a calculated, partial measure to appear responsible, while the systemic corruption in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 budgets remains intact.

The nation is now watching and waiting. Will a credible whistleblower be silenced? Will a senator’s warnings of a cover-up come true? Or will the sheer weight of 46 suitcases, and the tragic loss of a one-year-old child, finally be enough to bring the masterminds to justice?