In a series of tense Senate hearings that have gripped the nation, a staggering portrait of alleged corruption, waste, and profound negligence within key government agencies has been painstakingly painted. Spearheaded by the relentless questioning of Senator Raffy Tulfo, these revelations have pulled back the curtain on scandals involving everything from fantastically overpriced equipment and non-existent infrastructure to a billion-peso flood control project that sits as a silent, useless monument to failure. At the heart of it all is a story of billions of public pesos squandered and a public trust shattered, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the consequences.

The first thread in this tangled web of deceit was pulled when Senator Tulfo turned his attention to a seemingly routine procurement by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). In 2020, the agency purchased a batch of 191 body-worn cameras for its port police. The price tag, however, was anything but routine. Tulfo revealed that each individual camera cost the PPA an astonishing ₱879,000 (approximately $15,000 USD). To put that figure into perspective, the senator pointed out that the Philippine National Police (PNP) had previously acquired similar devices for around ₱135,000 each—a price he himself had questioned as being too high. The PPA’s cameras were more than six times more expensive.

PPA officials attempted to justify the astronomical cost, claiming these were not ordinary cameras but were part of a sophisticated system integrated with their National Port Surveillance Center. But for Senator Tulfo, no amount of technical jargon could explain such a blatant discrepancy. He branded the price “immoral and scandalous.” The investigation deepened, revealing even more troubling details. The contract, worth ₱168 million, was awarded to a company named Boston Holmes. A background check, which the PPA apparently failed to conduct with any rigor, showed the company had a declared capital of only ₱5 million. How could a firm with such limited resources secure a contract more than thirty times its worth? The answer, it seems, lies in a complete failure of due diligence. When the senator’s staff visited the company’s registered address, they didn’t find a corporate office but a simple apartment. Worse still, this same location had previously been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) for selling defective equipment to another government body. The scandal escalated when it was discovered that in August 2021, the PPA made a second purchase from the very same company, buying another 164 units. This time, the price per camera had ballooned to over ₱1 million each.

As if the shocking revelations at the PPA weren’t enough, another government agency, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was simultaneously uncovering its own internal rot. In a sobering announcement, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed the agency had discovered 421 “ghost projects” following a nationwide inspection of over 8,000 flood-control initiatives. These were projects that had been fully funded and officially listed as completed in government records, yet in reality, they were never built. The money had been paid out, but the dams, dikes, and drainage systems that were supposed to protect vulnerable communities from typhoons and floods existed only on paper.

These phantom projects, predominantly located in Luzon, represent a direct theft from the Filipino people, a betrayal that carries a human cost far beyond the billions of pesos lost. Each ghost project is a community left defenseless, a family whose home remains at the mercy of the next storm. Secretary Dizon, vowing a thorough cleanup, announced that show-cause orders had been dispatched to all officials and contractors implicated. The DPWH is now preparing a barrage of administrative and criminal cases, including malversation of public funds and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. For the officials involved, the consequences could be severe: dismissal from service and the permanent revocation of their professional licenses.

Perhaps the most visceral symbol of this widespread dysfunction is the Esteros Sunog Apog pumping station in Tondo, Manila. For the residents of this perennially flooded district, the announcement of the high-capacity pump was a beacon of hope. Constructed at a cost of ₱774 million, it was meant to be their salvation from the rising waters that regularly swamped their homes and businesses. The project was declared complete in 2020. But since that day, the massive machinery has never once roared to life. It has never pumped a single gallon of water.

A recent investigation led by Secretary Dizon uncovered the farcical reason for its paralysis: the colossal structure was built without the necessary building permits and, most incredibly, was never connected to an electrical grid. It was a billion-peso machine with no power source. The irony turned tragic as local residents reported that since the station’s construction, flooding in their area had actually become worse. The story descends further into absurdity with the revelation that despite the pump’s complete non-functionality, a new project worth ₱94 million was initiated for its “upgrading and repairs.” Furthermore, another proposal for an additional ₱200 million was on the table to “fix” a machine that had never even been used, let alone broken. Secretary Dizon has since halted these additional expenditures, labeling the situation a clear travesty.

Together, these scandals paint a devastating picture of a system plagued by opportunism and a blatant disregard for public welfare. From overpriced cameras bought from a dubious supplier to phantom projects and a useless pump, the common thread is the brazen siphoning of public funds that should have been used to serve and protect the Filipino people. As Senator Tulfo continues his crusade for accountability in the Senate and Secretary Dizon begins the arduous task of cleaning house at the DPWH, the nation watches, hoping that this time, the calls for justice will finally be answered.