Selective Outrage: Ghost Projects Deserve the Same Scrutiny as Confidential Funds

The political noise surrounding the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte has once again put the spotlight on the use of confidential and intelligence funds. Lawmakers such as France Castro, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Raul Manuel, Benny Abante, Chel Diokno, Antonio Trillanes, and others have taken a strong stance against what they claim is the misuse of these discretionary funds.

But while the debate rages on, one can’t help but notice the silence almost deafening when it comes to another equally, if not more, alarming issue: the ghost flood control projects that have been haunting the nation’s budget for years.

Reports and audit findings have repeatedly flagged billions of pesos allocated for flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Many of these projects were marked as “completed” on paper, yet on the ground, no such infrastructure exists. In some cases, projects are re-allocated and re-funded year after year, effectively turning them into endless cash cows.

This is not merely about mismanagement; it reeks of systemic corruption. Every peso funneled into phantom flood control projects represents stolen opportunities roads left unpaved, communities left vulnerable to flooding, and public trust left in ruins. And unlike confidential funds, which often get lumped into the executive branch’s discretion, these ghost projects thrive within Congress itself. Lawmakers have long wielded immense power over budget insertions, particularly in infrastructure.

So here lies the question: Why the double standard? Why the fiery condemnation over confidential funds but muted responses to the glaring ghost projects within Congress’ own backyard?

Is this truly about accountability, or is it more about political positioning? Are we focusing too much on prosecuting Sara Duterte while turning a blind eye to the deeper rot in the budgeting process—one that involves not just executive officials but legislators and contractors as well?

If we are to demand accountability, it should be across the board. Justice cannot be selective. The billions lost in ghost projects dwarf many of the issues being raised today, and yet, the outrage is nowhere near as loud.

The Filipino people deserve better. We deserve leaders who will confront corruption wherever it is found whether in the Office of the Vice President, the DPWH, or Congress itself. Selective indignation only weakens the fight against graft.

The call is clear: if our lawmakers are truly committed to good governance, they must muster the same energy, the same urgency, and the same outrage in investigating and prosecuting those behind these ghost projects. Anything less would only confirm the suspicion that what we are witnessing today is not accountability, but politics.

Philippine People's Press | In Truth We Prevail