Karen Davila, Kara David go viral for respective takes on corruption amid flood control project issue
Broadcast journalist Karen Davila went viral after she called out House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno for defending and supposedly painting then-speaker Martin Romualdez, who resigned amid his alleged involvement in the flood control project corruption scandal, as a victim.
In the Sept. 17 episode of ANC's morning news show Headstart, Puno discussed with Davila the rumors about a leadership shakeup in the lower chamber. At the time, it was a question of whether Romualdez would resign or go on leave.
(Romualdez officially resigned at 3 p.m. during the House regular session that day. He was replaced by Isabela 6th District Rep. Bojie Dy, whom he had reportedly endorsed as his successor.)
Puno recalled Romualdez intimating about resigning as House speaker weeks before, amid "too much controversy," particularly the anomalies in flood control projects. He even met with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., his cousin, to discuss matters before informing his colleagues that he's stepping down.
Amid the issue, Romualdez—alongside former House appropriations chairman Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co—has been accused of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects and inserting billions of pesos into the national budget to fund ghost infrastructures.
Puno told Davila that he knew it "wasn't" Romualdez's doing. He recalled asking Romualdez to "just explain everything," but the latter supposedly replied, "No, no. I don't want to get into an argument with the Senate President (Chiz Escudero). He was doing many things for the President also. I'll just swallow all of this. Anyway, I am used to this."
He noted that amid the controversy, Romualdez has become a "target for everyone."
"When an attack has been made to the administration and he is the target, he allows it to happen," he said, before Davila chimed in. Below is her full, uninterrupted response to Puno:
"I understand, you work with him, but I think we need to hold our leaders accountable. He is the Speaker of the House. The budget emanates from the House. There are talks of ostentatiousness and extreme wealth, private planes, supposedly more than 10 houses in Forbes Park."
"I am sorry, I have to bring this up. But to defend the Speaker that he is a victim in all this, it's appalling to the Filipino people. At the end, he would not even explain the corruption in the budget that he allowed, that he allowed. The House passed it, Congressman."
"In the end, we are talking about the public being angry of the ostentatious and extreme wealth of Martin Romualdez, Zaldy Co. This is not the time of the wealth you and I have seen, ha, in past administrations. Galit na tayo noon kay GMA, kay Erap, et cetera. This is a whole other level of alleged corruption. This (inaudible) the levels of Nepal. That kind of anger, which I hope not, but at the end of the day, when you hear about homes abroad."
"I mean, Congressman, it is very difficult to defend Martin, who was in power. Unless he submits his SALN, he explains. Stepping aside, I don't think, is enough for the Filipino people. It's not personal to me. I am not angry at him personally, but as a leader, this is inexcusable. Parang biktima pa siya, na ang bait niya, gusto niyang tumabi."
Puno's further defense of Romualdez
In response to Davila, Puno argued that he's not painting anyone as a victim, but he's "just addressing the issue in terms of propaganda." He reiterated that Romualdez doesn't always respond to criticisms, hence he gets blamed for things even though it wasn't his fault.
"As to the things that are his fault, that's why he's stepping aside and not going on leave so he can face it," he said.
Davila further pressed Puno as to why Romualdez couldn't be at fault for the passage of the budget with the alleged billions of pesos of insertions.
He argued that the House version of the budget didn't have insertions and went to the Senate, which then led to having a bicameral committee, which comprised members of the House and Senate.
These members, according to Puno, then decided to make a small committee of four people: Escudero, Sen. Grace Poe, Romualdez, and Co.
"The committee went into their meetings. This is when the insertions were put in, by the way," he said, before Davila asked, "Iyon, so andoon po siya?"
Puno then backpedaled, saying, "The Speaker did not attend those meetings. Sen. Grace Poe was not allowed to attend most of those meetings. It ended up (with) Zaldy Co and Senate President Escudero."
"[Co and Escudero] were the ones who actually penciled in whatever needed to be penciled in at the end," he said. "It was the two that actually finalized those things."
Davila clarified whether Co and Escudero "are to blame" behind the 2025 budget issue, and he gave a resounding "Yes."
In response to Puno's claims, Escudero said in a statement, "Katawa-tawa naman ang ginagawa nila. Ang bilis naman nila i-abswelto si Speaker Romualdez, ilaglag si Rep. Zaldy Co, ilihis ang isyu at magtuturo ng iba."
"Ang isyu ay ghost projects, substandard projects at mga kickback na karamihan ay nasa budget ng 2022, 2023 at 2024 at bago ang mga taong 'yan, ayon mismo sa Commission on Audit, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways at paglalahad ng whistleblowers," he said. "Mag-ingat po tayo at huwag po magpadala sa dibersiyon at paglilihis na ito."
Amid the issue, there was radio silence on the part of Co, who, according to his spokesperson Princess Abante's statement on Sept. 4, went to the United States "for medical treatment." Co has been missing in action since the House of Representatives opened its session on July 28, the month when heavy rains and flooding at the time ultimately led to conversations about alleged corruption in flood control projects.
(On Sept. 19, Dy formally revoked Co's travel clearance and ordered his immediate return to the Philippines within 10 days after receipt of notice.)
Kara David's birthday wish
Meanwhile, fellow journalist Kara David also made the headlines as she shared a Reel of her 52nd birthday celebration a day before.
David was at the dinner table holding her cake as her loved ones sang her a happy birthday song.
After imitating the Alden Richards pose meme, she gave the traditional birthday wish—only to catch everyone by surprise.
"Sana mamatay lahat ng kurakot sa Pilipinas," David can be heard saying, drawing laughter from her companions before she blew out her cake's candles.
Her Reel has over 651,000 reactions, 43,100 comments, and 172,000 shares.
Commenters went gaga over her wish, with many of them hoping for it to come true.
"Wish ko na sana matupad ang wish mo Ms. Kara," one user said.
"Dapat ganyan lahat wish ng mag birthday buong taon," another user said.
The viral moment led to digital artist Tarantadong Kalbo immortalizing it with a comic strip.
Flood control mess
As the rains triggered massive flooding in the metro in July, economist JC Punongbayan questioned why flooding persists despite having billions of pesos in flood control allocations over the years.
Sen. Ping Lacson told dzBB that since 2011, about P1 trillion allocated for flood control projects may have been lost to corruption.
Marcos, in his fourth State of the Nation Address, then called out government officials involved in the would-be corruption in flood control projects.
He ordered the DPWH to "immediately submit" to him the list of flood control projects from every region that were started and completed in the last three years. He said a project monitoring committee will evaluate this list to determine the failures, as well as the unfinished and ghost projects.
Marcos launched the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, where the public can track and report anomalous flood control projects and other possible corrupt practices. According to the website, there are 9,855 flood control projects totalling P545.64 billion since July 2022. Of that number, 6,021 projects worth over P350 billion don't specify the exact type of flood control being built, while several others in different locations also have the same contract cost.
Marcos also said there are 15 contractors that exclusively bagged 20% of all flood control projects worth P100 billion in the last three years.
In his podcast that aired on Sept. 8, Marcos said the DPWH will have zero flood control budget for 2026.
On Sept. 11, Marcos signed an executive order creating the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, which has the mandate to "hear, investigate, receive, gather, and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports and information, against all government officials and employees, and any other individual, involved in anomalies, irregularities, and misuse of funds in the planning, financing, and implementation of government flood control and other infrastructure projects nationwide."
Last Sept. 15, Marcos said Romualdez and his allies in Congress "will not be spared" from the ICI's probe.