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Philippines resolutely handles those involved in ghost flood control projects

Dozens of individuals, including contractors, officials, and lawmakers, have been reportedly accused of embezzling state funds allocated for flood control projects and the upgrading of weak infrastructure in the Philippines.

Hanoi (VNA) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announced on November 13 that ahead of this year’s Christmas, all individuals behind fraudulent flood control projects will be arrested.

The pledge came just days after consecutive storms struck the Philippines, causing multiple deaths and severe flooding.

Dozens of individuals, including contractors, officials, and lawmakers, have been reportedly accused of embezzling state funds allocated for flood control projects and the upgrading of weak infrastructure. The country’s Department of Finance estimates that corruption related to these projects from 2023 to 2025 has cost the nation approximately 118.5 billion PHP (about 2 billion USD).

President Marcos stated that authorities have nearly completed criminal prosecution files against those involved.

Earlier, in a speech in July, Marcos had warned about the existence of “ghost projects” in flood control, describing them as a serious problem causing significant budget losses and undermining public trust in the government.

The Philippines is still struggling to recover from the severe impact of Typhoon Fung-wong, which made landfall on the evening of November 9, flooding hundreds of villages and killing at least 27 people. Just a few days prior, Typhoon Kalmaegi also devastated the central region, claiming at least 232 lives./.

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