Warning vs rushed cases, Marcos says 'many' in flood control mess 'not innocent'
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. acknowledged that the government’s investigation into flood control anomalies has implicated some of his allies and that many of those accused are likely guilty.
But Marcos made it clear: all charges must be backed by solid proof.
In his new podcast, Marcos addressed criticisms that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was being selective in its probe.
While he is aware of pubilc calls for swift justice, the process must prevail and building airtight cases was more important than acting quickly.
“Much of what we’ve heard are allegations. We have to prove it. You don’t want to go after people who are innocent. Now, we know many of these people are not innocent. But if you’re going to bring them to court, you must have a very strong case,” Marcos said.
The president cautioned that rushing to file weak cases that might later be dismissed would only set back the government’s anti-corruption drive.
“We go after the guilty ones. You know, because some of the guilty ones, they're trying to derail the system,” Marcos said.
Asked about the investigation’s possible impact on his political allies, Marcos said he was aware that some were already implicated.
Not for 'political advantage'
While he did not name names, his cousin and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been tagged in reports as a recipient of alleged kickback funds.
“Why would I even start such a thing if it was somehow for political advantage? The reason I brought it up and made it part of the national discourse was quite simply because this could not go on,” Marcos said. “If it kept going, we would discover how deeply entrenched this entire system was.”
Marcos said corruption is not only damaging to the economy but to lives and communities.
He first raised the issue of anomalous flood control projects during his State of the Nation Address in July, triggering investigations that have since exposed widespread corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways.
RELATED: Marcos flags P350 billion in flood control projects lacking key details
Billions of pesos are suspected to have been lost to kickback schemes involving contractors and government officials.
Among those implicated are Romualdez, former Senate president Chiz Escudero, and resigned House appropriations chair Zaldy Co, who is currently abroad.
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