The tobacco excise tax dispute unfolding in Isabela raises a familiar question: is public money reaching the people it is meant to help?

In Reina Mercedes, a meeting about projects intended to benefit tobacco farmers descended into a shouting match between Vice Mayor Harold Respicio and barangay officials.

At the center of the confrontation was a barangay health station in Banquero, described during the meeting as a project costing around P5 million.

When Respicio asked about its status, the barangay captain said the facility had not been completed, prompting the vice mayor to demand evidence of progress.

Respicio accused officials of misusing tobacco farmer funds, while barangay captains denied wrongdoing and objected to the way he addressed them.

Those accusations remain allegations, not established findings of tobacco fund corruption.

Respicio also claimed that some farmers had been discouraged from attending an earlier session and threatened with the loss of financial support.

The claims added urgency to a discussion already charged by questions about an unfinished facility and the handling of money intended for farming communities.

As voices rose, other council personnel and police officers stepped in, and the meeting was suspended so both sides could cool down.

One barangay captain, meanwhile, questioned Respicio’s own performance in office, widening the argument beyond the disputed projects.

Respicio later apologized for his conduct, but Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla criticized his behavior and said it should be addressed.

The apology may settle the argument over tone, but it does not answer the questions about project completion or spending.

For tobacco growers, the issue is more concrete than a clash between officials: promised assistance matters only when projects are finished and support reaches its intended recipients.

Still, the dispute is a reminder that public trust depends on clear accounting, especially when money is set aside for communities that rely on it.