August 20 2025 President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on wednesday gives a surprise inspection of a P55-million "ghost" river wall project in Bgy. Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan that is yet to be constructed. Based on the documents from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the 220 meter-structure was supposed to begin last February but when the President visited the area, there was no indication that it even started despite it being marked “completed.” and there were also receipts showing the project was fully paid. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The revelations surrounding the Philippine flood control program are not just another tale of crooked officials pocketing funds. They expose something far deeper and more insidious: state capture.
This is not mere corruption but the systematic redesign of government institutions to serve powerful networks rather than the public good.
When government engineers…
