Class suit vs Romualdez, Zaldy Co, Vargas seeks P1B for flood victims

November 18 ------ AN anti-corruption civil group filed a P1-billion class suit against former speaker Martin Romualdez, resigned congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, and Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas, demanding that they compensate flood victims, especially in Novaliches.

The United People Against Corruption (UPAC) filed the civil case before a Quezon City regional trial court. “We filed a class suit for damages of P1 billion against these officials for abuse of rights and unjust enrichment,” lawyer Ariel Inton, of UPAC, told The Manila Times.

Instead of filing a criminal complaint against the respondents, Inton said they decided to file a civil case as they want them to directly compensate the affected flood victims in the city’s District 5, which covers Novaliches. “The people were directly affected by the extraordinary floods that could have been prevented if these officials performed their duties with honesty, justice, and good faith,” Inton said. He noted that government prosecutors can file criminal cases to send those guilty to jail. “But on our part, we will concentrate on compensating the victims. The money awarded by the court will go directly to the people. No kickbacks, no red tape,” Inton said.

Asked if UPAC could afford to pay for the docket fees, which may amount to P50 million, Inton said they would seek consideration as they would introduce themselves as “pauper litigants.” “We may be allowed by the court on the condition that we would pay the amount if we win the case, since we asked for P1 billion in damages,” the lawyer said. Inton said his group was the first to initiate the filing of a civil complaint against those involved in flood control corruption.

Tagged in the alleged anomalous projects in his district by the contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya, Vargas has denied involvement in anomalous flood control projects and said he has submitted documents to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to prove his innocence.

Severe flooding

UPAC said that despite the release of massive amounts of public funds earmarked for flood control, communities in Novaliches continue to experience severe and recurring flooding, raising serious questions on project implementation, fund utilization, and accountability.

The group quoted reports from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, which said that flood control allocations for Quezon City’s fifth district, under Vargas, reached P944.6 million per year, or a total of about P2.86 billion from 2023 to 2025. Despite these allocations, UPAC said, residents in their district reported little or no improvement in flood conditions in the affected areas.

Bishop Kiko Billaser, UPAC spokesman, said that the figures underscored the gravity of the complaint. “If billions were allocated for flood control programs, but flooding remains rampant in communities, it is clear that there is a huge problem. The people’s question is simple: Where are the projects and where is the money?” Billaser said. He added that the flooding in Novaliches is not merely a natural disaster but a man-made crisis rooted in neglect and corruption.

The cases, according to UPAC, are supported by documentary evidence, sworn affidavits, and testimony from affected residents and witnesses, as well as budget records and publicly accessible data on flood control allocations. The group added that the filing of cases would follow a district-by-district approach, beginning in Quezon City’s fifth district, to encourage more complainants and witnesses to come forward and to strengthen public participation in the pursuit of transparency and accountability.

The Manila Times has reached out to Romualdez and Vargas through their respective offices and to Co’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, but they have yet to respond to queries.

Source: manilatimes.net