CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – More than 3,000 Kapampangans gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral here on Thursday, September 18, for a Mass and indignation rally denouncing corruption in government flood control projects, with protesters singling out former Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. for alleged anomalies in his district.
The rally, organized by the Concerned Citizens of Pampanga, was launched under the banner “Isang Bayan ,Isang Laban Tapusin Katiwalian: Day of Prayer and Rage.” Participants from different towns and sectors accused the Marcos administration, DPWH officials, and lawmakers of profiting from so-called ghost projects, but speakers reserved their sharpest criticism for Gonzales.
At the center of the outrage is the Candating Flood Control Project in Arayat, a multimillion-peso initiative touted as a major protection against seasonal flooding. Protesters said the project was either substandard or non-existent, citing reports of incomplete works despite full funding allocations.
“Every rainy season, Candating residents still wade through waist-deep waters. Where did the money go?” one protester asked.
Gonzales, a former House senior deputy speaker and a key political ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and resign Speaker Martin Romualdez has been repeatedly mentioned in Senate hearings and community complaints over alleged “flood project rackets” in Pampanga. He has yet to issue a detailed response to the Candating allegations.
Thursday’s rally came just days after House Speaker Martin Romualdez resigned in connection with the wider flood control scandal, adding pressure on other lawmakers whose names have surfaced in testimonies and audits.
Organizers vowed to bring the issue to the September 21 national rally at Luneta Park and the EDSA Shrine, where tens of thousands are expected to call for accountability from officials implicated in the controversy.