Vice President Sara Duterte Challenges Floodwater Management
As the southwest monsoon or “habagat” continues to bring heavy rains causing floods across many regions, Vice President Sara Duterte proposed an unusual solution. She suggested that the public collect all the floodwater and deliver it to Malacañang so President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would have something to drink. This vivid statement highlights her call for more responsible floodwater management.
“Let us collect all the floodwater, then deliver it to Malacañang so that he (Marcos) would have something to drink,” Duterte said in Filipino. Her comment echoed a previous idea shared by President Marcos about collecting floodwater in Metro Manila for agriculture and other uses.
Government Plans and Duterte’s Criticism
In 2023, the government announced plans to build large impounding areas outside Metro Manila to store floodwater instead of releasing it. Vice President Duterte recalled this during an ambush interview at The Hague, Netherlands.
She also criticized the administration for what she called “political scapegoating” over the flooding issues. Duterte accused the current government of deflecting responsibility by blaming her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I would not be surprised if everything he did, or all that is being done by former President Duterte, would be investigated by the current administration,” she said when asked about a recent House resolution probing the dolomite beach project.
She added, “[I] will also not be surprised if they say that everything that has been happening is part of the war on drugs and is the fault of President Duterte.”
“Like I said, what they are doing is political scapegoating. Meaning, they do not want to accept the obligation, they do not want accountability for [the country’s] problems, such as the flooding,” she emphasized.
Flood Causes and Calls for Real Solutions
Last week, a House resolution was filed to investigate the dolomite beach project built during the Duterte administration. The bill cited claims that the project contributed to persistent flooding in Metro Manila. The resolution noted that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair identified the dolomite beach as a factor causing blockage in major drainage along Taft Avenue.
Despite these allegations, Vice President Duterte urged the government to stop blaming others and focus on solutions. “What they should be asking is, what is the reason for the floods? What plans can we do so that when the next storm comes, there would no longer be floods? And how can we implement these plans to ensure that people would not be stranded or become victims of the flooding?” she said.
She added, “That is how the government should respond. Not by blaming other people. Because they are diverting the attention of the public towards other problems.”
For more news and updates on flooding and government response, visit Filipinokami.com.
