*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD
I was struck while following the recent congressional hearings on the flood control scam, particularly when Mayor Vico Sotto spoke. His words were not mere observation; they were born of firsthand experience. He knew the Discayas, the people behind 9 Construction Corporation, and he dared to say what others only whispered—that these individuals had the capacity to twist narratives, to create confusion, and to casually drag names into the mud without regard for truth.
This brings us to a troubling dilemma. How do we deal with witnesses who have a track record of lying? Can they ever qualify as state witnesses if, in the middle of solemn proceedings, they play around with the system? It is almost comical, if it were not tragic, that some of them suddenly develop “selective amnesia.” Records and facts that once guided their transactions from 2016 to 2022 are now conveniently forgotten. Are they protecting someone more powerful? Or is there an invisible hand threatening them into silence?
Congressional hearings are supposed to be avenues for accountability, but too often they become theaters of half-truths. Once a name is mentioned—whether it is a senator, a DPWH official, or any public servant—that person becomes guilty in the eyes of the people, even before evidence is weighed in the proper court. Public perception becomes the jury, and the damage to reputation is irreversible.
We have seen this before. Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva were casually implicated by DPWH officials and linked to the so-called “BGC Boys,” or Bulacan Group of Contractors. Senator Ping Lacson exposed how this group used casinos to launder nearly PHP950 million from flood control projects. Cash was exchanged for chips, played briefly, and cashed out as “winnings.” This was not luck—it was a laundering scheme. DPWH engineers and contractors were identified, with Lacson even urging the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze their accounts and investigate.
But here lies the greater danger: the BGC Boys and the Discayas have more to gain the more names they throw out. By naming senators, congressmen, mayors, governors, undersecretaries, directors and others—whether guilty or not—they muddy the waters. The more confusion, the safer the real masterminds remain. Some names may be dragged out of revenge, others as distractions. That is why I must be clear: I am not saying that those mentioned are innocent, but we must accept that some names may have been thrown in recklessly or maliciously. If we are to pursue justice, let us practice objectivity, not subjectivity.
And can we rely on the testimonies of people who openly admitted they enriched themselves through anomalous DPWH contracts and bribery? Do we put our trust in the BGC Boys who squandered fortunes in casinos, treating ill-gotten wealth like play money? A line from a TV Filipino series captures their mindset: “Tutal nahuli na tayong magnanakaw, aminin na natin at idamay na natin lahat pati mga kaaway natin. Guluhin na natin lahat para di lang tayo ang magdusa.” Isn’t this the very strategy we are witnessing—confuse the process so that no one bears full responsibility?
This is why Senate and Congressional hearings, while useful in surfacing issues, cannot by themselves deliver justice. They can expose systemic weaknesses, yes—but they cannot convict the guilty. The flood control scam highlights the cracks in our laws: weak procurement safeguards, porous anti-corruption measures, and blurred lines of accountability.
If we truly want justice, we must move beyond spectacles. Lacson’s documentation of casino-based laundering and years of warnings on budgetary insertions should have been enough to elevate cases to the courts. Why then are we stuck in endless hearings and sound bites? Justice belongs in the proper forum—our courts of law—where perjury has consequences and guilt or innocence is established by evidence, not by headlines.
The bigger lesson is clear: Congress should legislate reforms, not just stage prolonged hearings. Amend the Procurement Act to close loopholes. Tighten bicameral deliberation rules to prevent last-minute insertions. Review the DPWH’s structure to clarify accountability. And most of all, abolish pork barrel politics in all its forms so legislators focus on what they were elected to do—make laws, not build roads.
As an educator, I remind my audience in every academic venue that truth is not negotiable. If we allow lies to dominate our institutions, we teach the next generation that integrity is optional. Witnesses who lie and lawmakers who grandstand corrode democracy rather than strengthen it.
Mayor Vico Sotto was right to warn us about people who lie and create confusion. His words capture the essence of our national challenge: justice cannot thrive in a climate of deception. If hearings become circuses where names are weaponized—whether to shield allies or take revenge—we will never find the truth.
The Filipino people deserve better. We deserve a justice system that punishes the guilty, protects the innocent, and restores trust in government. The time for spectacle is over. Congress must pass reforms. The non-bailable case of malversation of public funds must be filed now. The Ombudsman and the courts must act. And the people must demand truth over confusion, justice over deception.
Only then can we begin to rebuild trust. Only then will we
prove that lies, no matter how loud, can never silence the truth.
