MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Chiz Escudero on Friday, August 9, said he was “perplexed” as to why Vice President Sara Duterte is questioning the flood control program of the Marcos government when her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, failed to address the problem during his six-year term.

Escudero said this in response to media queries on Duterte’s rant last Wednesday against the Marcos government.

“The statements of Vice President Sara Duterte should not be surprising following her resignation from the Cabinet. What is perplexing is her questioning the absence of a flood masterplan two years into the administration of PBBM [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] after the previous administration had six years to develop one, but was unable to do so,” Escudero said.

“Matagal nang problema ang pagbabaha sa bansa; kung meron kasing nagawa na o nasimulan man lang po noon, eh di meron a po sana tayong napatupad na ngayon,” he added.

(Flooding has been a longtime problem in the country; if something had been done or started before, we would have something to implement now.)

In a lengthy statement two days ago criticizing the Marcos government, Duterte had said: “The Philippines, being an archipelago that faces typhoons annually, should have a comprehensive plan and robust infrastructure to deal with disasters. However, the Philippines currently has a government that admits we don’t even have a flood-control master plan.”

Duterte was referring to the statement of Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan at a recent Senate hearing that the country had no integrated flood control master plan, though Bonoan later clarified that he was misunderstood. He said a master plan exists but its implementation had been bogged down by delays especially during the pandemic.

Escudero also urged Duterte to help address the country’s problems, especially since she has the capacity to do so, instead of “blaming others.”

“The Vice President, like every Filipino, has the right to point out the problems confronting our countrymen. Unlike ordinary citizens, however, she can actually suggest or do something tangible about them using her position, resources, and platform,” the Senate president said.

“Imbes na magturuan at magsisihan, mas mainam na magtulungan na lang tayo para tugunan ang mga problema ng ating bansa at mga kababayan,” he added.

(Instead of pointing fingers and blaming others, it’s better to cooperate with each other to address the problems of the country and our citizens.)

In response to Escudero, the Vice President, in a statement on Friday, said that the Duterte administration’s accomplishment in flood planning was to embark on a Master Plan and Feasibility Study for Flood Control in September 2016, which was published in July 2023.

Duterte had been seen by some analysts as an opposition leader to the Marcos government following her resignation as education secretary in June. There are only two months left before the filing of certificates of candidacies for the May 2025 midterm elections. – Rappler.com