Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday appealed for patience from the public as his administration faces mounting criticism over the perceived slow progress in its anti-corruption campaign in the alleged “ghost” infrastructure projects, saying that rushing cases could jeopardize the country’s pursuit of justice.
President Marcos urged Filipinos to remain calm and allow due process to take its course, emphasizing the administration’s ongoing efforts against corruption in the government infrastructure projects.
“We have to remind people that we have now moved from the political arena to the legal one,” the president said in a conversation with members of the media delegation.
“Do you want to get it done quickly or do you want to get it done right? That’s the choice that we have,” he added.
President Marcos said he understands the public’s frustration, but cautioned against pressure to make arrests or file charges without sufficient evidence. He warned that weak cases could lead to acquittals on technical grounds, allowing corrupt officials to walk free.
“Can you imagine these people who have stolen billions from the government and from the people getting away because the evidence was not properly handled?” President Marcos said. “That would be a much worse result.”
The president said the administration is determined to ensure that those guilty of corruption are held accountable and that stolen public funds are recovered, but emphasized that justice must be pursued carefully and methodically.
“We only have one chance at this,” Marcos said. “We cannot waste that opportunity to bring those people to justice and to bring justice to the Filipino people.”
President Marcos also called on the public not to mistake the deliberate pace of legal proceedings for inaction.
“As I’m sure anyone who has been involved in any kind of legal proceeding knows, we are all very frustrated by how long it takes,” he said. “But as lawyers say, the law grinds very slowly, yet it grinds very well.”
On the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which investigates corruption in the alleged “ghost” infrastructure projects, President Marcos reiterated that the body operates independently and should be allowed to make its own decisions, including whether to livestream its hearings.
“The executive does not interfere with the ICI. We respect the first word in its name, ‘Independent,’” President Marcos said. He added that what matters most is that investigations are handled properly and transparently.
“The important thing is to make sure that when we act, we act correctly,” he said.
President Marcos’ call for calm comes as several labor and business groups have expressed disappointment over what they described as slow progress in curbing corruption.
He shared their sense of urgency but reminded everyone that justice, to be meaningful, must stand on solid legal ground.
