When Greed Floods the Nation: The Fight for Honest Leadership

"Man's desire is insatiable." People always want more. More money, more power, more control. That’s normal. But when this desire becomes too much, it turns into greed. And greed can destroy communities.

In the Philippines, we’ve seen this happen with flood control projects. These projects are supposed to protect people from floods. But instead, many of them were used to steal money.

Where Did the Money Go?

Some companies were paid billions of pesos to build flood control systems. But many of these projects were fake or poorly done. 

According to the GMA News, over the past 15 years, nearly ₱1 trillion of the ₱2 trillion allocated for flood control projects was lost to corruption. That’s ₱1,000,000,000,000, money that could have built thousands of classrooms, lifted millions out of poverty, or protected entire towns from disaster.

Senator Ping Lacson revealed that 60% of the flood control budget was siphoned off through ghost projects, overpriced materials, and kickbacks. In Bulacan, one company got over ₱9 billion for projects that didn’t even exist. 

photo courtesy of Philippine Star

This means our taxes, money we worked hard for, were stolen. Families still suffer from floods because the systems meant to protect them were never built properly.

Bilang isang simpleng mamamayan at tapat na nagbabayad ng buwis, dapat nga ba tayong magalit? Yes. We should be angry. We should speak up. Because this is not just about money, it’s about safety, trust, and fairness.

And we must ask: Why does this corruption exist in the most important government projects, those meant to save lives? The truth is painful. Many lives have already been lost because of typhoons and other disasters. People are still suffering from unending floods, sickness like leptospirosis, and the fear that the next storm could be worse.

Ngayon tuloy nag-aalala ka na sa mga susunod na pagdating ng mga kalamidad, because you know the systems meant to protect you might fail again. And that fear is real.

And in moments like this, you can’t help but ask, May pag-asa pa nga ba ang bayan natin? 

Leaders Who Chose Honesty

Thankfully, not all leaders are corrupt. Mayor Benjamin Magalong of Baguio, Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig, and Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City are showing us what honest leadership looks like. They were deeply concerned about systemic corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects

photo courtesy of CinemaBravo

In his interview with Jessica Soho, Mayor Magalong found out that solar streetlights were being bought for ₱157,000 each, even though they should only cost around ₱40,000. He also saw road reflectors being sold for ₱11,720 when they should cost ₱1,800. He didn’t stay quiet. He spoke up and started a group of mayors who want clean and honest governance.

In fact, Mayor Magalong and Mayor Belmonte were among the key founders of the Mayors for Good Governance movement in 2023- a coalition of over 100 mayors who launched the initiative to fight corruption and demand transparency in government projects.

Mayor Vico Sotto also exposed corruption in Pasig. He found out that some contractors were connected to dirty deals in flood control projects. He explained how corruption works, from fake bidding to unpaid taxes, and promised to take legal action to get the city’s money back.

Mayor Vico Sotto exposed how contractors linked to massive flood control projects were using mainstream media platforms to sanitize their image. He called out the practice of paying millions of pesos to appear in “rags-to-riches” features, interviews that made Discaya Family look inspiring and trustworthy, even though they were allegedly involved in corrupt deals.

Mayor Joy Belmonte, meanwhile, has taken a strong stand against corruption in Quezon City. She pushed for automation of government services to reduce human intervention and eliminate opportunities for bribery. 

These three mayors are proof that good governance is possible. They chose to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. And this is exactly the kind of leadership our country needs, leaders who are not afraid to expose corruption, and who lead with heart and genuine love for the people.

Greed builds nothing. It only takes. But honest leadership builds trust, safety, and real progress.

If we want a better future, we need more leaders like Magalong, Sotto, and Belmonte. We also need citizens who care, who ask questions, demand answers, and stand up for what’s right.

What Can We Do?

We can’t just wait for change. We have to be part of it. Let’s support honest leaders. Let’s report corruption. Let’s teach others why integrity matters.

Bilang simpleng mamamayan, ano ang magagawa natin? We might think our voice is small, but it matters. We can start by staying informed, sharing the truth, and supporting leaders who fight for transparency. We can vote wisely, speak out against injustice, and teach the next generation to value honesty over shortcuts.

Change doesn’t begin in Congress, it begins in conversations, classrooms, barangays, and homes. It begins with us.

Because when we fight greed with truth, we protect not just our money, but our homes, our families, and our future.