BEYOND SPECTACLE: UPV chancellor seeks independent commission on flood anomalies

By Mariela Angella Oladive

With mounting reports of irregularities in flood control projects, University of the Philippines Visayas Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano has urged the creation of an independent “truth commission,” warning that congressional hearings risk turning into political theater.

Camposano said that while Senate and House inquiries may expose corruption in infrastructure spending, they cannot by themselves restore public trust.

“If Congress investigates itself, it will never be a true investigation,” he said in a recent interview.

“We need a body outside politics, independent even from the President, if we want to get to the bottom of this,” he added.

He proposed a commission composed of government officials, civil society leaders, state institutions, academics, and members of the religious sector, whose collective credibility would be beyond reproach.

Politicians, he said, should not automatically be excluded, provided their track record demonstrates integrity.

Camposano cautioned that the current focus on naming contractors or individual culprits risks obscuring deeper challenges tied to flooding.

He said climate change, sinking land, and unchecked urban growth are reshaping the country’s flood risk and require long-term solutions such as relocating communities in high-risk zones.

“Unless we confront this, no investigation will solve our problem,” Camposano said.

He warned that the inquiries could again fall into a familiar cycle of dramatic hearings, public outrage, and eventual return to business as usual.

“We have to go beyond the spectacle,” he said.

Camposano drew parallels with Indonesia, where public anger over governance has boiled over despite strong economic growth.

He noted that the Philippines, though one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, remains deeply unequal.

“Strange as it may seem, the Philippines is not poor. What is poor are the Filipinos,” he said.

The call comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) multi-billion-peso flood control projects across the country, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for closer investigation of infrastructure spending.

In Iloilo City and province, officials including Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu and Provincial Board Member Rolex Suplico have raised concerns about alleged substandard construction and project delays.

In recent weeks, congressional hearings have placed DPWH officials under pressure, while local government leaders echoed calls for transparency and accountability.

The controversy has fueled debate on whether legislative probes can ensure integrity or risk devolving into political spectacle without addressing systemic issues.