A political firestorm has erupted following astonishing comments from one of the administration’s highest officials, Executive Secretary Bersamin. While the nation reels from a massive, multi-billion peso flood control scandal, Bersamin expressed “pity” for the powerful politicians implicated, sparking widespread outrage. The Secretary’s remarks, focused on the supposed unfairness of “trial by publicity” and his sorrow for politicians already deemed “guilty” in the public’s mind, have been blasted as a tone-deaf defense of the elite and a blatant disregard for the plundered public funds.

The public’s response to this display of “pity” has been swift and sharp. Pity? For whom? This is the question echoing across social media. Is this pity for the officials allegedly sitting in their lavish mansions, who critics say benefited from bags of misappropriated money? Pity for those who hold immense power while critical infrastructure projects, paid for by the people’s taxes, simply vanished into thin air? This sentiment is being condemned as a shocking disconnect from the reality faced by citizens who were promised protection from floods but received nothing.

The controversy centers on the ghost flood control projects. For over two months, the scandal has dominated headlines. Evidence has been presented showing that enormous sums of money were released, contractors were paid in full, and the public’s tax money was allegedly divided among a select few. The problem? The dikes, barriers, and mitigation projects were never built. The funds are gone, and the people are left with non-existent projects, a “classic example,” as one attorney put it, of systemic corruption.

In a powerful and direct rebuttal to the establishment’s narrative, Attorney Vic Rodriguez entered the fray, unleashing a takedown that has electrified the public. He flatly rejects the call for pity, instead reframing the entire situation with a chilling five-word phrase: “A crime with no criminal.” This powerful statement perfectly captures the nation’s frustration—a massive offense has clearly been committed against the people, yet not a single high-profile individual has been held accountable.

Attorney Rodriguez’s argument is devastatingly simple. It has been proven and shown that there are no dikes and no flood control program. The funds were released, the contractors were paid, and the people’s taxes were carved up. The crime is visible to everyone. He argues that this is not a case of “if” a crime was committed, but “who” is being protected from the consequences. He points to the obvious, asking why, if the evidence is so clear, there are still no formal charges against the major figures involved.

Furthermore, Attorney Rodriguez took direct aim at the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), the very body created to investigate the anomaly. He labeled the commission a “budol,” or a complete “scam.” He alleges it is not an independent body at all, but rather a key part of the administration’s “scam machinery.” In his view, the ICI was designed to create the illusion of action, a way to cool public anger and manage the narrative while ensuring the real culprits remain untouched and protected.

This has led to the core, inverted truth of the entire scandal. As Attorney Rodriguez declared, “We can clearly see who the criminals are, yet it seems they have no crime.” This statement flips the official narrative on its head, suggesting a deliberate, high-level effort to shield the guilty. While Secretary Bersamin worries about the “feelings” of powerful politicians, the nation is left trapped between a crime that everyone can see and criminals who remain invisible to the justice system, leaving everyone to wonder if accountability is even possible.