The public should not be satisfied until everyone involved in the flood control corruption scandal is held accountable.

This is the warning of a Makabayan lawmaker.

According to House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, the public should not be satisfied with the statement made by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) regarding the flood control corruption scandal.

The lawmaker said the corruption is rooted in an alleged collusion between the executive and legislative branches of government.

In his SONA, the President revealed that multiple cases will soon be filed against his cousin and former House Speaker, Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
"At dumating na tayo sa punto na ayon sa ombudsman, ay malapit na ang paghahain ng patong-patong na kaso laban sa dating speaker. Masakit man sa akin ito, ngunit kailangan nating gawin ang tama. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino." President Marcos Jr. said.

[And we have reached the point where, according to the Ombudsman, multiple cases are about to be filed against the former speaker. This is painful for me, but we need to do what is right. I am not the president of my family. I am not the president of my friend. I am the president of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos.]

Reacting to the President's SONA statement, Rep. Antonio Tinio said the process should not stop with the former speaker alone.
"Hindi tayo maaaring magkasya roon at hindi maaaring tumigil doon. Lalo pa, hindi pwedeng palusutin yung executive branch. yung flood control corruption, nangyari yan dahil may sabwatan ng executive at saka ng legislative. So paano na yung mga cabinet officials, members ng cabinet ng Pangulo, hanggang ngayon hindi iniimbestigahan." Tinio said.
[We cannot be content with that, and we cannot stop there. Furthermore, the executive branch cannot be let off the hook. The flood control corruption happened because there was collusion between the executive and the legislative. So what about the cabinet officials, members of the President's cabinet, who up to now have not been investigated?]

The Makabayan lawmaker added that the public cannot move on until everyone involved in the massive corruption in the government's anti-flood project is held accountable.

"Ang pangamba natin ay baka ang intensyon ng Pangulo ngayon ay sabihin na ito si Former Speaker Romuladez, iimbestigahan na natin, pwede na tayo mag-move on. ang publiko ay hindi rin masisiyasahan at matatahimik kung hindi iimbestigahan at pananagutin ang lahat ng sangkot kasama ang Malacañang."

[Our fear is that the President's intention now is to say, "here is Former Speaker Romualdez, we will investigate him, and now we can move on." The public also will not be satisfied and will not be at peace unless all those involved, including Malacañang, are investigated and held accountable.]

Meanwhile, a House Deputy Speaker admitted it was painful to hear the former House Speaker mentioned in the President's SONA, especially since he remains their colleague in Congress to this day.

Asked about the matter, House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin said it was only natural to feel that way about a colleague, but stressed the need to respect the process and move forward.
"Syempre natural lang 'yun, pag may kasamahan ka, human as we are, andoon 'yung konting kirot sa ating puso. Ngunit, nirerespeto natin ang proseso, nirerespeto natin ang sistema, we need to move on, because a bigger stake is on hand, and that is delivering for our people"

[Of course that's only natural — when you have a colleague, human as we are, there is that slight pain in our hearts. But we respect the process, we respect the system, we need to move on, because a bigger stake is on hand, and that is delivering for our people.]

Meanwhile, Rep. Romualdez has already filed a counter-affidavit with the Office of the Ombudsman, following the recommendation of special investigators to file complaints of plunder, graft, bribery, and money laundering against him.

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