12/02/2026
OPINION: In Davao Oriental, Accountability Must Matter More Than Loyalty
“Nowadays, people don’t defend what is right; they defend who they like and benefit from.”
In Davao Oriental, that line resonates deeply amid ongoing public discussions surrounding infrastructure spending — particularly flood control projects, slope protection works, solar-powered water systems, and other publicly funded facilities.
Over the past several years, millions — even hundreds of millions — of pesos have been allocated to projects intended to protect communities from typhoons, landslides, and flooding. These projects are funded through national appropriations and implemented locally through government agencies.
They are not optional developments.
They are matters of public safety.
Yet whenever questions arise about procurement patterns, contractor concentration, project revisions, or cost efficiency, the response is often predictable.
Instead of documents, there are defenses.
Instead of explanations, there are allegiances.
Instead of transparency, there is polarization.
In a province regularly struck by natural disasters, asking how contracts are awarded should not be controversial.
How many bidders joined each project?
Were the bids truly competitive?
Are project costs aligned with prevailing market rates?
Why do certain contractors appear repeatedly across municipalities?
These are governance questions — not political attacks.
Competitive bidding laws exist to ensure fairness. Audit systems exist to protect taxpayers. Oversight mechanisms exist to prevent the misuse of disaster funds.
When scrutiny is dismissed as political noise, accountability weakens.
Davao Oriental does not need louder loyalty.
It needs stronger transparency.
Public infrastructure is not a reward system.
It is a responsibility system.
Flood control that fails to prevent recurring damage, slope protection that requires repeated funding, or facilities that undergo constant revisions demand evaluation — not emotional defense.
No court has ruled wrongdoing in relation to these projects. But public accountability does not begin with a conviction. It begins with inquiry.
If governance processes are sound, they will withstand examination.
If procurement is fair, it will survive scrutiny.
The real danger is not criticism.
The real danger is a culture where defending personalities becomes more important than defending public interest.
In a disaster-prone province, infrastructure is meant to shield communities — not shield power.
And in Davao Oriental, accountability must matter more than loyalty.
