It began with a directive from Malacañang. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered lifestyle checks across the bureaucracy, beginning with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The goal was clear: to expose corruption embedded in infrastructure spending, particularly in flood control projects that have surfaced as ghost contracts or substandard builds where billions flowed but floodwaters remained.
According to the Chief Executive, the government has allocated ₱545 billion for flood control projects from 2022 onward. Of that amount, nearly ₱100 billion or close to 20% of the total budget, was awarded to just 15 contractors. While not all projects were flagged, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing at the Senate last week, confirmed that ghost projects were among those implemented. The presence of substandard and non-existent infrastructure has raised serious questions about oversight, accountability, and the integrity of public spending.
As the probes widened, so did public scrutiny. The public turned their gaze not only to officials but to their families, contractors, and especially their children. Social media, once a playground for curated excess, became a courtroom of public opinion. Screenshots of luxury cars, designer bags, and jet-setting escapades flooded timelines. The question was no longer just “Who signed the contract?” but “Who’s flaunting the spoils?”
Can’t bear the heat any longer, some of the family members of these politicians and contractors have either deactivated their social media accounts or adjusted their settings to private. Others sanitized their feeds, deleting posts that hinted at wealth far beyond declared income. But the damage was done. The digital trail had already been archived, dissected, and reposted by citizen sleuths. The performative purge only confirmed what many suspected: privilege had become too visible to ignore. May mga resibo.
Even celebrities weighed in. Bianca Gonzalez’s post struck a nerve: “My feed is filled with posts on the lavish lifestyles of kids of corrupt officials… and here we are, mga walang generational wealth o nakaw na yaman, na kumakayod araw-araw.”
Vice Ganda, who is currently in the United Kingdom for a show, wrote: “Super tipid ako dito sa London kasi ang mahal. Kaya namalengke na lang kami nung first day at nagluto dito sa air bnb. Pangatlong araw na naming iniinit tong natirang adobo. Tapos bigla kong naalala yung milyon milyon kong tax na pinaghahati-hatian ng mga garapal na magnanakaw. Aray koooo!!!!” (The post has since been deleted.)
There were other celebrities like Anne Curtis, and Edu Manzano who also took to social media to express their indignation.
It is indeed unfortunate that these flood control projects, which are meant to protect the vulnerable, have become symbols of excess. While communities wade through waist-deep waters, family members of those profiting from these projects post poolside selfies in designer swimwear, or their globe trotting activities.
These “nepo babies” (as netizens call them) and their parents should revisit Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and be reminded that public office is not a family heirloom but a public trust, bound by integrity, modesty, and accountability to the people.
This latest scandal to rock our society invites us into deeper reflection. Lifestyle checks may uncover financial discrepancies, but they also reveal something more insidious: a normalization of inherited impunity. When privilege is passed down without accountability, corruption becomes a family heirloom.
We must ask: What kind of public service allows for this kind of private splendor? What kind of governance tolerates contractors who flaunt fleets of luxury cars while taxpayers foot the bill for unfinished roads and faulty flood walls?
It is now clear that the answer lies not just in policy but in the people—in the choices we make, the leaders we elect, and the standards we uphold. In the 2028 national polls, we will know if Filipinos have learned their lesson.
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