The Latest on Southeast Asia: Corruption Turmoil in the Philippines

Tens of thousands of protesters joined demonstrations in Manila on September 21 dubbed the “Trillion Peso March” against government corruption. Around 50,000 Filipinos gathered at Luneta Park followed by thousands more at the EDSA thoroughfare in central Manila.

Public outrage over mismanaged flood control funds spiked after three tropical storms hit the country during the monsoon season in July, exposing the failure of flood infrastructure. The storms left thousands of homes damaged, public infrastructure unusable, and 38 people dead, prompting Filipinos to question the efficacy of billions of dollars invested in flood control in recent years. The arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa this week leaves flood control top of mind for the Philippine public.

In response, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., launched a new initiative to investigate corruption after castigating corrupt officials connected to flood control graft in his State of the Nation Address. On September 11, he signed an executive order establishing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to investigate irregularities in government infrastructure projects. Marcos revealed in a press conference that the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways had awarded $9 billion in flood control projects to just 15 firms. Allegations point to corrupt officials within the department colluding with contractors to inflate costs for infrastructure and siphon public funds for personal gain. Such allegations have fueled a passionate public discourse on the lavish lifestyles of corrupt officials and contractors’ families. 

Witnesses testifying before the Philippine Congress have accused sitting lawmakers of receiving or demanding kickbacks while others, including former Senate president Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former House speaker Martin Romualdez face scrutiny for alleged connections to implicated construction firms. Escudero and Romualdez, the president’s cousin, stepped down from their leadership positions on September 8 and 18, respectively. New leadership in the House and Senate has promised action. Escudero’s replacement, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, appointed Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson to lead a blue ribbon committee to investigate corruption. Romualdez’s successor, Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, has vowed to “clean up” the House. 

President Marcos has vowed that no official will escape investigation and expressed his openness to being investigated himself. Well over the halfway mark of his single-term presidency, Marcos faces a defining test of his leadership. With public trust at stake, the investigations may prove to be a watershed moment for his presidency and a referendum on his family’s return to power.

Japhet Quitzon is an Associate Fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.

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