President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government’s investigation into so-called “ghost” flood control projects will press forward “no matter where it leads,” stressing that political alliances will not stand in the way of holding those responsible to account.
In a podcast interview, Mr. Marcos acknowledged that exposing the multibillion-peso scheme, which he first revealed during his State of the Nation Address, could have political repercussions. But he said confronting entrenched corruption is essential to the country’s progress.
“I think we’re already there. Why would I even start such a thing if it was somehow for political advantage?” President Marcos said. “The reason I brought it up and made it part of the national discourse was quite simply because this could not go on,” he added.
The president described the scale of the alleged anomaly as “shocking,” saying that while corruption has long plagued public projects, the extent of the scheme was unlike anything seen before.
“Nothing will happen to the Philippines if we carry on this way,” he said. “The economy will never grow properly. People are not going to get helped. The schools will not get better. The hospitals will not get better. We will not get anywhere,” Mr. Marcos added.
Marcos said he refuses to adopt the mindset of past administrations that accepted corruption as inevitable. “If you resign yourself to that, you will not do anything. And this is what we’ve seen over so many past decades. I didn’t want to be another one,” he said.
He also dismissed the notion that officials involved could escape responsibility by resigning.
“That’s not sufficient,” he said. “There is a great deal of damage that has been caused, not only financial damage or economic damage, but damage to people’s lives,” he added.
The president cited cases where substandard flood control projects collapsed during heavy rains, killing residents.
“A lousy flood control project that collapsed during the flood, that killed a family, how can you live with that? I can’t live with it. So, I won’t live with it. We’ll keep pushing,” he said.
The ongoing investigation into the alleged ghost projects, which are believed to have diverted billions of pesos in public funds, remains a key test of President Marcos’ promise to deliver real accountability and systemic reform.
