Arinola scandal to flood   control project ‘ghosts’

By Alex P. Vidal 

“Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, eliminating the scapegoat, and relaxing until we find the next scandal.” — Newt Gingrich

FILIPINOS never ran out of scandals and controversies.

From golden arinola (bedpan) scandal that nearly resulted in the impeachment of President Elpidio Quirino in the 1950s, to the flood control projects anomaly in 2025 that will most likely implicate and bring down several elected public officials, especially members of the “House of RepresentaTHIEVES.”

The degree of humiliation absorbed by Philippine public servants accused of irregularities and dishonesty is almost parallel in both scandals, but the amount involved is oceans apart.

In the flood control projects anomaly, an initial review found that P100 billion worth of 20 percent of all flood control projects in the past three years were undertaken by only 15 contractors, according to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

In the golden arinola scandal, “only” P250 was involved, plus P5,000 for the arinola complementary bed.

The amount of P250 at that time could be around P250,000 today; P5,000 could be at least P500,000 today (this is only my own rough estimate).

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But it was enough to send thunderbolts in Malacanang; in fact, it reportedly cost Quirino his reelection bid in 1953 when he was soundly defeated by the well-loved Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay in the presidential race.

Critics accused Quirino of allegedly owning a golden arinola (glossed as chamber pot or bedpan as it was used for urination and often kept under a bed).

It was Jose Custodio, a military historian, who narrated that the scandal had been brought up by journalist Armando J. Malay in The Manila Chronicle.

It was the golden arinola’s and bed’s extravagant cost for 1950s standards that reportedly raised concerns government funds may have been used to purchase the set.

Magsaysay (2,912,992 votes) of Nacionalista Party clobbered Quirino (1,313,991 votes) of Liberal Party in the 1953 presidential election.

The voters, however, elected Magsaysay because of his anti-insurgency and anti-communist campaign, not because of the arinola scandal.

The purported golden arinola was never found, and the bed’s actual cost was only reportedly ₱300.

Quirino’s reputation, however, had taken enough toll even as he also faced allegations of nepotism and misappropriation of funds to boot.

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In the flood control project scandal, Mr. Marcos Jr. said P545 billion in public funds went to flood control projects nationwide since July 2022, citing the preliminary report of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH identified a total of 2,409 contractors for both local and national flood control projects.

“However, this is another disturbing assessment, statistic: 20 percent of the entire 545 billion budget napunta lang sa 15 na contractors. Sa 15 na contractor na ‘yan, lima sa kanila ay may kontrata sa buong Pilipinas,” said the Chief Executive.

President Marcos ordered the ongoing audit to investigate further why 20 percent of flood control projects went to only 15 contractors.

“That for me was the one that stood out very much. Five of these contractors had projects in almost the entire country. So those are the ones that immediately pop out na sa aking palagay ay kailangan natin tingnan,” said the President.

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WE were still under alert in New York, including the rest of East Coast as of this writing, even if the forecast said hurricane “Erin” may not make landfall, but it still could have devastating consequences for residents.

ABC News reported that the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season was forecast to cause rough surf, large waves and life-threatening rip currents for much of the East Coast despite churning northward several hundred miles offshore.

Average sea levels for many East Coast communities were now about a half foot higher August 20 than they were just a few decades ago, climate scientists said, intensifying coastal erosion along the U.S. coastline.

Some of the biggest waves from “Erin” could occur in the evening during high tide, Kimberly McKenna, interim executive director of the Coastal Research Center at Stockton University in New Jersey, told ABC News. But states will have to “wait and see” just how harmful Erin is to the coasts, McKenna added.

Coastal erosion is part of the planet’s natural cycle but warming global temperatures and rising sea levels are worsening the damage to the coast’s natural barriers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)