The so-called “nepo babies” of the Philippines’ top flood control project contractors are facing backlash from Filipino netizens for flaunting their lavish lifestyles in the midst of the “ghost” flood control project anomalies, causing flood and destruction over the country.
President orders lifestyle check
The shaming of the children of the contractors came after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered for all officials to undergo a lifestyle check after he revealed that 15 out of 2,000 companies were responsible for 18% of the PHP545-billion (USD9.67-billion) the government had spent to control floods nationwide.
Marcos Jr. ordered a flood management audit during his fourth state of the nation address, where he also ordered the public release of a comprehensive list of flood control projects from the past three years.
A number of construction firms have come under fire for reportedly engaging in unusual multimillion-peso contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for flood control projects.
Flood control projects have been under rising scrutiny with floods destroying people’s houses, properties and livelihood, among other things, as the country is battered by an average of 20 typhoons annually.
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Public outrage on social media
Many netizens searched TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites for names connected to politicians and the owners of these companies after the public revelation of the private contractors who won the biggest flood control projects.
Numerous social media accounts have started compiling, reposting and re-uploading photos and videos of the “nepo babies” which shows their expensive trips to foreign countries and multiple designer items such as cars, jewelry, bags and clothes, which were captured from their social media posts and vlogs.
Netizens are also urging Filipinos to “normalise” the public shaming of corrupt politicians and their families, whom they claim are living lavishly at the expense of the Filipino taxpayers’ money.
Citing Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, youth-led movement GoodGovPH Policy Advocacy Director John Coby Cabuhat said that “public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious displays of wealth in any form.”
Kabataan Partylist, a youth sectoral party in Philippine Congress, also slammed the children and the politicians.
“Reality check: the super bourgeois lifestyle of the one per cent is only possible because of the exploitation and theft of the 99 per cent of the working people. The anger of the people is valid because stealing is wrong, period,” Kabataan Representative Renee Co stated.
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