Some propagandists who are obviously in Malacanang payroll are asking where, in the midst of devastating floods in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, is Vice President Sara Duterte. Either they did it on their own or followed the script of President’s Spokesman Claire Castro to please their benefactor who appeared to be paralyzed watching the rivers and the Manila Bay become virtual dumping sites of enormous waste unseen in the country’s history.
This administration had seen to it that VP Sara is immobilized and politically devastated. Her office had been defunded. After a long fishing expedition his lapdogs in the House of Representatives submitted four articles of impeachment and now she is tried by the Senate acting as impeachment court. The Justice Department filed a separate case of grave threats against her which could result to detention.
It would take a face as thick as the rhino to demand from Sara to take the shovel to get rid of the sea of waste and stop the destruction caused by floods.
The black propaganda has become more of an insult to President BongBong Marcos. The public knew this administration had virtually clipped Sara . The people knew that BongBong has all the wherewithals to address the problem. After a long silence, probably thinking and consulting with his technical wizards who designed the ghosts flood control projects, he announced that he will dig 30, repeat thirty underground water catchments where to store flood water.
Marcos declared that the excavation will begin soon starting with Rajah Sulayman Park. Rizal Memorial Stadium, Camp Aguinaldo and University of Santo Tomas to start with. BBM has yet to announce how much is his budget and where the money will come from. The palace press releases impress but some quarters dub the initiative a buffoonery given the financial distress the present administration is submerged in.
The imperative of the time however needs solution and this brings to mind the proposed channel that would connect Laguna Lake to Manila Bay. Then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called the project Paranaque Spillway Project.
The goal of the project was to drain excess water from Laguna de Bay thus preventing flooding of low-lying areas around Metro Manila.
About 11-kilometer underground tunnel with an inner diameter of 13 meters running underground in the towns of Muntinglupa, Paranaque, Las Pinas and Bacoor to Manila bay. I read sometime ago that the spillway could divert up to 2,400 cubic meters of floodwater per second from the Marikina River into Laguna de Bay and therefore protect Metro Manila from flooding. The project cost is estimated then at about ₱90-billion. Which means if Congress and the Executive Department could scale down their corruption this spillway could be easily accomplished.
Maybe DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon should focus on this rather than wasting time looking for who among the past Presidents Is or are to be blamed for the horrendous flooding of Metro Manila. True, floods occur in their terms but what Manila and Luzon are experiencing these days is unprecedented. The magma of waste that covers rivers and waterways happens only now. The horrific site of turbulent murky waters flooding city streets and sweeping away not only debris but abandoned vehicles.
Nobody has come out with an explanation why the wrath of nature is so extreme. Pres. Marcos said it’s the effect of climate change. Maybe, but why is it calm and sunny in Visayas and celebratory atmosphere in Davao City?
