The P110 million in cash returned by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Henry Alcantara is only a small fraction of the trillions allegedly lost to kickbacks in flood-control projects, House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima said, as she urged other personalities implicated in the scheme to follow suit.
De Lima said the House Liberal Party (LP) bloc has filed House Resolution No. 524 seeking an inquiry into ‘the status of recovering ill-gotten or unexplained wealth from those linked to what lawmakers describe as the country’s biggest corruption scandal.’
The probe aims to determine implementation gaps, ensure accountability, and recommend measures to strengthen the government’s anti-corruption mechanisms, she added.
‘This is still a small amount compared to the trillions of pesos that went into kickbacks and the pockets of those who colluded in anomalous projects. We urge other individuals involved in the flood control projects controversy to follow suit,’ the lawmaker said in a statement written in Filipino on Friday.
She also pressed the government to accelerate efforts to file cases and recover stolen public funds.
De Lima likewise renewed calls for the swift passage of the proposed Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) law, which she said would create a stronger, more comprehensive, and truly independent body to investigate anomalous government projects.
‘No stalling should be allowed in passing the ICAIC bill. Let me repeat: the President should certify it as urgent,’ she said.
‘Besides the value of the recovered stolen wealth, we will also monitor how it will be used. The government’s plan for it should be clear, and it should bring significant benefits to our people,’ she added.