Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday called on Filipinos to unite against corruption and what he described as “selective justice” in the ongoing flood control controversy.
“Dumating na ang panahon na kailangan sabihin nating, ‘Tama na! Tama na!’” Cayetano said this before a crowd of over 12,000 people during a lightning rally along EDSA on June 30, 2026.
He said Filipinos initially hoped the government would pursue accountability following the President’s 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), which flagged alleged ghost projects and irregularities in flood control programs, but claimed that momentum later faded due to political interests.
Citing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiries led by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Rodante Marcoleta, he said these initially helped expose anomalies but that attention later shifted away from identifying those most responsible.
“Nagkaisa kami sa Minority noon… kung makakatulong sa bansa, kung mahahanap ang magnanakaw, kung ang kadiliman ay mabibigyan ng ilaw, OK na,” he said.
“Nagspeech po siya (Lacson), na-reveal ang ghost projects. Ang dami naexpose. And then pinalitan si Senator Marcoleta [bilang chairman ng Blue Ribbon]. Noong pinalitan si Sen. Marcoleta, ang mastermind ay senator na lang. Nawala na y’ung iba [na sangkot] sa departments, secretaries, congressman, at nawala na y’ung napakalaking tao na siya ang nagpagalaw ng lahat,” he added.
He stressed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s statement that there was a “mastermind” behind the alleged anomalies, contrasting it with Lacson’s position on the issue.
“Sabi ni Ombudsman Remulla mismo na merong mastermind. Ano po ang sabi ni Sen. Lacson? Walang mastermind. Malinaw na malinaw po na ang unang nagbigay ng pag-asa sa atin na Pangulo ay hindi na po nahihiya. Sa totoo lang po, kawalang hiyaan na ang ginagawa,” he said.
Cayetano said alleged corruption involving flood control and road maintenance funds in 2023 had not been fully investigated, despite the scale of the allocations.
“Noong 2023, halos isang trilyong piso ang budget ng DPWH. Ang flood control projects, mahigit P300B. Ang maintenance ng roads, unang beses naging one third [ang allocation] ng budget. Mahigit din na P300B,” he said.
“Usually 70% ng budget ay bagong kalye, tulay, at building. First time noong 2023 na [pinakamalaki ang] flood control at maintenance. Ang maintenance po, hindi pa iniimbestighan hanggang ngayon,” he added, arguing that similar allocations continued in 2024 without sufficient scrutiny.
Cayetano assured the protesters that those pursuing corruption cases have faced pressure but remain committed to their work and urged Filipinos across political, religious, and regional lines to stand together against corruption.
“Huwag po ninyo kaming alalahanin… Desidido po kaming lumaban,” he said, naming Marcoleta and other colleagues including Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ronald Dela Rosa, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano, and Robinhood Padilla.
“Tama na! … Sana bilang Pilipino, makasigaw tayo ng ‘We are one [against corruption]’” Cayetano said, repeatedly emphasizing the call for unity and accountability.
Screenshot from Alan Peter Cayetano FB.