​PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces growing public pressure to act decisively against contractors who have bungled flood control projects, along with public officials who may have colluded with them.

The President’s tough talk on the issue, starting at his State of the Nation Address in July, backed by the recent launch of an online platform where the public can report cases, is encouraging. But that is not enough. If he wants a real legacy of good governance, his administration should pursue the cases and prosecute the culprits even if they are political allies.

​Marcos has made public a list of 15 contractors who secured a significant portion – 20% – of the total ₱545 billion allocated for flood control projects since the start of his administration.

A particular concern is that five of these contractors were awarded projects across nearly all regions of the country, raising suspicions of their influential backers at high levels.

We are not yet certain if any of the supposedly bungled flood control projects are located in Pangasinan.

What puzzles even Marcos is that there were multiple projects that had the same amount despite being located in different areas.

The recent storms and enhanced monsoon rains have exposed the failures of these projects, leading to devastating overflows that have impacted thousands of residents.

​There’s a strong public sentiment that for Marcos to avoid being perceived as a “lame duck” president in his remaining three years in office, he must not only name names but also actively pursue legal proceedings against those responsible.

The expectation is that if found guilty, these individuals – regardless of their political affiliations – should face imprisonment.

The public is keenly awaiting the President to “walk the talk” and show that those who pocketed money intended for these critical infrastructures are made to account.

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