Posts misrepresent Philippine senator's old remarks as call to stop probe on flood control scandal

"Leave flood control alone!" reads Tagalog-language text overlaid on a Facebook video shared on July 11, 2026.

It pairs footage of a motorcycle wading through a flooded main thoroughfare with a clip of Tulfo speaking to reporters about a scandal in the typhoon-prone nation, where construction firm owners, government officials and politicians have been accused of pocketing funds allocated to flood control projects (archived here and here).

"Leave flood control alone. Leave it to the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways)," Tulfo says in the video, adding that lawmakers should donate their "pork barrels" -- discretionary public funds allocated to politicians for local projects -- to the infrastructure agency.

"What do senators or congressmen have to do with this? Nothing. What I want is to let the DPWH do its job. Give the money to the DPWH. So no one points fingers at each other, right?"

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Screenshot of false post taken on July 20, 2026, with red X added by AFP

The posts surfaced as heavy rains driven by Typhoon Bavi -- known in the Philippines as Inday -- triggered landslides and other incidents that left at least 26 people dead (archived link).

Similar posts have spread across Facebook, racking up more than three million views and prompting criticism of the lawmaker, who took over chairmanship of the Senate committee tasked with overseeing government accountability following a shake-up in June (archived link).

"Who voted for this fool?" said one user.

Another said: "Has this idiot been blinded by money and power?"

However, there are no official reports or records of Tulfo calling for an end to the investigation into the flood control projects scandal.

While the probe falls under the purview of Tulfo's committee, he recused himself after allegations linking him to the scandal prompted calls for him to step back from the inquiry (archived link). The panel's vice chairperson, Senator Francis Pangilinan, will take charge instead.

The posts have stripped Tulfo's remarks of context, as previously debunked by fact-checking organisation Vera Files (archived link).

Misrepresented video

A reverse image search on Google traced the clip to longer footage uploaded by Philippine media outlet NewsWatch Plus PH on Facebook on July 23, 2025 -- when the scandal was still unfolding (archived link).

In the caption, the outlet noted that Tulfo was reacting to allegations that lawmakers had misused funds allocated for the flood control projects.

Tulfo's remarks were directed at fellow lawmakers, and he urged them to stop interfering in the project's fund allocations and leave budgeting and implementation to the DPWH.

At no point in the clip did he call for an end to the inquiry -- he was actively advocating for one.

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Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the original NewsWatch PH clip

Philippine news outlet Inquirer similarly reported on the same day that he said senators and congressmen should not interfere in the flood control projects and that they should be handled only by the DPWH, adding he would push for probes into any lawmakers accused of meddling in the programme (archived link).

Addressing the false claims, Tulfo told AFP on July 23 that his position "has not changed" since the interview was recorded last year.

"As the Chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, I reiterate that we will continue our investigation into the controversial flood control scam," Tulfo said -- referring to the Senate group that oversees government accountability -- adding that the panel would focus on new information and allegations properly filed before the committee.

AFP has previously debunked other misinformation about the flood control scandal.