President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into the rehabilitation of the river protection structure in Barangay Bulusan, Calumpit, Bulacan, after uncovering glaring deficiencies despite official reports declaring the work completed.

During the inspection on Friday, President Marcos urged residents, local officials, and even the media to keep reporting irregularities in government projects so authorities can act promptly.

“O sige magreport kayo. Paulit-ulit ‘yung report niyo. Report n’yo sa akin, report n’yo kay Gov, report niyo kay Cong. Lahat ng reportan ninyo, para alam namin. Pati sa press report ninyo para alam namin lahat,” President Marcos said.

“Dahil hindi puwedeng ganito, pambihira. This has been going on for years,” the President added.

The President’s inspection revealed that portions of the dike were left unfinished, concrete works were substandard, and silt had already built up along the riverbanks, raising questions about the projmect’s quality and oversight.

President Marcos also said that the contractor, St. Timothy Construction, must explain why the structure failed to meet specifications and why parts of the project were seemingly abandoned.

President Marcos stressed that accountability will be demanded from the contractor and government officials who approved the project.

The Chief Executive also underscored that project defects waste public funds and endanger communities.

“Lahat ng kasama doon… itra-trace natin saan nanggaling itong mga programang ito, saan napunta ang pondo, bakit ganito ang nangyari at sino ang pumirma na sinabi okay lahat,” the President said. | PND