Progressive youths staged a protest on September 8 in front of the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways on Guerrero Street in Davao City to denounce corruption in the agency related to reported ghost and incomplete flood control projects in the city. They carried a list of major contractors involved, including the company CLTG Builders, owned by the family of Sen. Bong Go.

Under his father’s regime, Paolo Duterte’s district received ₱51 billion in infrastructure funds from 2020 to 2022. Most of this amount were earmarked for flood control projects. Despite this, repeated and severe flooding occurred in the city, including in Duterte’s district. Floods devastated thousands of residents, forced many to evacuate, and destroyed their homes and livelihoods. In August alone, 265 areas of the city were submerged in floods brought by the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

Congress recently renewed questioning the ₱51 billion allocation Duterte received. The Dutertes face accusations of reporting ghost projects, overpricing projects, and having anomalous links with contractors such as Alfrego Builders. In the Senate, Bong Go’s family’s involvement also surfaced, which reportedly cornered ₱817 million in funds for the city’s infrastructure projects. His company’s “joint venture” with companies owned by the Discaya family, identified as the number one corrupt contractor during the Duterte regime, was also exposed.