Marcos slams 'useless' Kennon Road rock shed: 'Parang tinapon mo 'yung pera sa ilog'
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. criticized a rock shed project along Kennon Road in Benguet amid his crackdown on anomalous flood control projects.
Marcos inspected flood control projects in Tuba, Benguet, on Aug. 24, including a 152-meter, two-lane rock shed at Millsite along Kennon Road, which was meant to protect vehicles from landslides and falling debris.
"The P260 million that the government spent on this project had no effect whatsoever to protect the slope. Parang walang ginawa," the president said.
"Wala silang tinayo... wala silang nilagay na wall, riprap, slope protection. Ganun din ang nangyari. Kaya ang balor ng kanilang trabaho is zero—complete zero."
Marcos said that the supposed slope protection disintegrated and failed to prevent soil collapse and rockfall amid monsoon rains and Typhoon Emong in July.
"Useless. Parang tinapon mo 'yung pera sa ilog," he said, adding that he estimates it would take P500 million, or double the cost, to restore the rock shed.
The project, awarded to 3K Rock Engineering with a cost P264.19 million, was started in January 2023 and listed as completed on April 13, 2025.
Marcos also called the result of the project "economic sabotage," as it caused damage to the livelihood of people in the area.
"Naghahanapbuhay lang naman itong mga taong ito, tinanggal sa kanila 35% ng kanilang hanapbuhay para ibulsa ang pera ng gobyerno," he stated.
Tuba mayor Clarita Sal-ongan told members of the media on Sunday that the rock shed still protected residents and motorists, particularly at the Camp 4 rock shed, from land and rock slides during the typhoon.
She also said that the rock shed was a national government project.
The president also inspected a rock netting project in Camp 3, which he slammed for being "notorious" for corruption.
"Pinag bawal na ang rock netting pero ginawa ng ginawa pa rin... Kilala ko ang supplier... ang presyo ng rock netting is P3,200. Ang chinarge sa gobyerno ay more than P12,000. 75% ng kontrata, kinickback," Marcos said.
During his 2025 state of the nation address, Marcos called out government officials who allegedly commit corruption in flood control projects. He launched a website, titled "Sumbong sa Pangulo," where the public can track and report anomalous projects.
"Sa mga nakikipagsabwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong mga kapwa Pilipino," he said on July 28.
"Mahiya naman kayo sa mga kabahayan nating naanod o nalubog sa mga pagbaha. Mahiya naman kayo lalo sa mga anak natin na magmamana sa mga utang na ginawa ninyo nang ibinulsa niyo lang ang pera."
