MARIKINA City 2nd District Representative Miro Quimbo has filed House Resolution No. 1342, demanding an urgent congressional inquiry into why vital flood-control infrastructure stood idle as floodwaters inundated local communities during the heavy Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) rains on August 9.
The resolution directs the appropriate House committee to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation to determine the exact cause behind the operational failure of the Tumana and Iwahig pumping stations.
The probe will focus on establishing clear accountability for the project’s contractor and operator, J.D. Legaspi Construction, as well as evaluating the oversight provided by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Unified Project Management Office (DPWH-UPMO).
The investigation stems from reports by local residents on August 9, who watched rising waters submerge streets and homes while the nearby pumping stations remained completely inactive.
Following up on community alerts, Representative Quimbo personally led an on-site inspection of both facilities on Sunday afternoon.
The lawmaker discovered that the critical infrastructure was not only non-operational, but entirely unattended, with no personnel from the construction firm present on-site.
Barangay Tumana is the second-most populated barangay in Marikina City, home to nearly 50,000 residents, and has historically suffered high vulnerability to severe flooding.
The DPWH-UPMO constructed the Tumana and Iwahig facilities specifically to mitigate flood risks along the Marikina River during intense storms.
“This is precisely when flood-control infrastructure should be working—not sitting idle or unattended while our people are facing rising floodwaters,” Quimbo stated, describing the failure as “more than just negligence” and a “blatant betrayal of public trust.”
Under HR 1342, the DPWH, J.D. Legaspi Construction, and related agencies will be summoned to present key documents, including maintenance logs, staffing records, contract terms, operational manuals, and inspection reports.
Beyond pinpointing technical and administrative breakdowns, the House inquiry aims to institute stricter oversight measures to prevent similar life-threatening failures during future natural disasters.
