Marilyn Cahatol

Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) special adviser and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, together with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, conduct an on-site inspection of major infrastructure projects in Pampanga on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The officials checked the progress of the San Agustin Bridge in Camba and the Candating flood-control project in Arayat, both designed to improve mobility and strengthen the province’s disaster resilience against flooding.

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL PROBE

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175878653748420250923-flood-cointrol-pampanga-ici-MT17.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) special adviser and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, together with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, conduct an on-site inspection of major infrastructure projects in Pampanga on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The officials checked the progress of the San Agustin Bridge in Camba and the Candating flood-control project in Arayat, both designed to improve mobility and strengthen the province’s disaster resilience against flooding.Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco on Thursday said some House members were unaware of the flood control insertions allegedly placed in their districts by the former chair of the House appropriations panel.</p><p>Lawmakers and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) call this “sagasa” — when a district representative is not aware of a project insertion in their district proposed by other congressmen.</p><p>“Yung sagasa, kumbaga, hit and run yun. Makikita na lang po niya (district representative) yan sa GAA (General Appropriations Act). Kasi magugulat siya paglabas ng GAA, biglang lumobo yung distrito niya,” said Tiangco during the Senate&#x27;s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/senate-resumes-flood-control-probe-in-sixth-hearing-0900">sixth </a>hearing on the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>(Sagasa is like hit and run. The district representative will just see it in the GAA. They will be surprised that, in the GAA, the budget for their districts have ballooned)</p><p>This is different from “parking,” when a district representative was aware that another congressman proposed a project in his/her district.</p><p>&quot;Parking&quot; entails a fee of 5 percent, based on the earlier statements of former DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez.</p><p>Tiangco said district representatives he had asked said they were not aware of some of the biggest project insertions in their jurisdictions proposed by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/suitcases-of-money-delivered-to-romualdez-zaldy-co-houses-staff-1118">Suitcases of money delivered to Romualdez, Zaldy Co houses: staff</a></div><p>“So my conclusion was, kung yung malalaki hindi pinaalam, I just concluded na posible rin (hindi alam ang maliliit).”</p><p>(My conclusion is that if district representatives weren&#x27;t told about big projects, it&#x27;s possible that they didn&#x27;t know about smaller projects either)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/senators-call-out-dbm-s-instant-release-of-funds-for-alleged-zaldy-co-insertions-1531">Senators call out DBM&#x27;s &#x27;instant&#x27; release of funds for alleged Zaldy Co insertions</a></div><p>Tiangco early this month said Co proposed a total of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/zaldy-co-proposed-p13-8-b-insertions-for-flood-control-other-infra-in-2025-budget-1142">P13.8 billion</a> worth of flood control projects in several provinces.  </p><p>Insertions are included in the proposed national budget after the bill for it had already been passed by the two chambers of Congress.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘FOR LATER RELEASE’</strong></div><p>Tiangco confirmed former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s previous statement that flood control insertions were put on “for later release” status following their discovery of the alleged corruption scheme of some lawmakers. </p><p>He said this was supposed to give Bonoan, who has resigned over the controversy, a chance to scrutinize the projects for &quot;red flags&quot;.</p><p>“Pag hindi pareho yung proponent at yung district congressman, lalo na kung district congressman siya, para sa akin kalokohan na ito,” said Tiangco. </p><p>(If the project proponent and the district congressman is not the same person, especially if it is in their district, there&#x27;s something funny there)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/sham-flood-control-projects-placed-in-other-districts-upon-zaldy-co-s-order-alcantara-1108">Sham flood control projects placed in other districts upon Zaldy Co’s order: Alcantara</a></div><p>The smaller projects that matched the proponent and the district representatives were given the go signal and submitted to DPWH. The department would then seek the submission of requirements, he said, but some projects turned out non-compliant. </p><p>Tiangco said some House members labeled flood-control projects “high-profit,” due to the 20 percent share given to the proponents.</p><p>The Navotas representative explained that the insertions would not be discovered if not for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s request for explanation on why the supposed funds for his flagship projects and the foreign-assisted projects were reallocated. </p><p>The President&#x27;s order, he noted, forced members of the House to provide a copy of the insertion details. </p><p>Tiangco previously said the House members initially refused to provide records of the insertions made. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/tiangco-files-ethics-complaint-against-zaldy-co-over-flood-control-insertions-1515">Tiangco files ethics complaint against Zaldy Co over flood control insertions</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKNVP-gcn78?si=emPNhQ5NU2_gu2mV" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco on Thursday said some district representatives were unaware of the flood control insertions placed in their jurisdictions.</p>

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco on Thursday said some district representatives were unaware of the flood control insertions placed in their jurisdictions.

'Sagasa': Tiangco says some reps unaware of insertions in their districts

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'Sagasa': Tiangco says some reps unaware of insertions in their districts

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2025 04:47 PM PHT

Read More:

Toby Tiangco

Senate

DPWH

flood control

House of Representatives

corruption

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