Philippines Corruption Probe Expands to Infrastructure Projects

MANILA, Sept 23 (VoM): The Philippine Senate’s corruption probe has widened to cover a broader range of infrastructure projects, following allegations of overpricing and poor-quality construction in several provinces.

Former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez testified on Tuesday that street lamps, roads, and buildings in Bulacan province, north of Manila, were built with substandard materials. He alleged that a large portion of the allocated budgets was diverted into the pockets of politicians.

“All projects didn’t follow what was specified in the plans,” Hernandez told lawmakers, stressing that the discrepancies were not isolated but systemic.

The scandal initially erupted over alleged anomalies in flood-mitigation projects, but investigators now believe trillions of pesos may have been lost to graft across multiple infrastructure initiatives.

The revelations have sparked widespread public anger, with thousands of Filipinos taking to the streets over the weekend demanding greater accountability and reforms in the management of public funds.

The Senate committee has vowed to pursue the investigation aggressively, calling on current and former officials to testify, while watchdog groups urged the government to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted.