CITY OF MALOLOS – “Where did the P41 billion budget go? Why is Bulacan still flooded?”
Bulacan Governor Daniel R. Fernando urges the public and media to focus on real solutions rather than online distractions, challenging authorities to account for P41 billion in missing flood-control results.
“Iyan din ang tanong ko. Iyan ang tanong ng bawat Bulakenyong nabubuhay sa pangamba ng malawakang pagbaha sa tuwing sasapit ang ganitong panahon. Iyan ang tanong ng mga bayang nilalamon na ng high tide, ng mga magsasaka, mga manggagawang natanggal na sa trabaho sa dami ng absent, mga negosyante at mga komunidad na paulit-ulit na naaapektuhan ng palala nang palalang pagbaha sa Bulacan,” the governor insisted.
During a press conference held at The Pavilion in Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center earlier today, the governor calls for systemic reform, transparency, and immediate answers for flooded communities across the province.
He said that public discussion should move beyond a viral clip of his recent interview and toward the more important question of where billions in flood-control funds have gone.
Fernando clarified that his response stemmed from not having the exact data on hand during the brief interview, rather than a lack of awareness or concern about Bulacan’s flooding crisis.
“Ang pagsasabing ‘hindi ko alam’ sa isang tanong na nangangailangan ng eksaktong datos ay hindi nangangahulugang ‘wala akong alam o walang pakialam.’ Hindi rin ito patunay ng kapabayaan, pagiging iresponsableng pinuno, at lalong hindi ito maaaring gawing ebidensiya ng pagkakasangkot sa anumang anomalya,” he stressed.
The governor reiterated that the reported ₱41-billion flood-control projects are not under his or the Provincial Government of Bulacan’s direct control, but are instead funded, planned, contracted, and implemented by national government agencies.
In the end, Fernando reaffirmed his respect for the media’s role in holding public officials accountable, saying journalists have the right to ask difficult and uncomfortable questions—and that public officials have a duty to face and answer them—while calling for responsible, ethical journalism that gives proper weight to context, evidence, and truth.
“Public officials must be accountable, but, media must be accountable, too,” Fernando said, emphasizing that the public needs journalism that does not simply seek a viral moment but strives to present the whole truth.
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