Senator Erwin Tulfo urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday to detail the government’s anti-graft progress during his upcoming fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), specifically requesting data on filed cases and the exact sum of reclaimed public money.
Marcos will deliver his second-to-last annual address before a joint congressional session on July 27.
Addressing the press, Tulfo noted that recent measures from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) signal that authorities are moving against those accused of squandering public funds.
“May mga sinabi ang Pangulo about corruption and I think they are doing something about it,” Tulfo said.
While Tulfo refrained from naming specific individuals or lawsuits, he highlighted reports where implicated figures were supposedly ordered to surrender large sums of money—some ranging from ₱500 million to ₱1 billion.
Tulfo stressed that the President ought to utilize his SONA platform to enlighten the public on the total monies clawed back by the state, along with updates on ongoing criminal and administrative actions tied to the anti-corruption drive.
Furthermore, the lawmaker vowed that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will push ahead with its probe into the multibillion-peso flood control scheme once Congress opens its third regular session.
“Meron talaga tayong flood control investigation. Hindi tayo umiiwas. We will conduct an inquiry. I promise you,” Tulfo said.
As committee chairman, Tulfo clarified that formal proceedings will begin as soon as the panel finalizes its official membership and selects a vice chairperson.
During his previous SONA in 2025, Marcos publicly denounced alleged corruption in flood control infrastructure and instructed agencies to audit projects executed under his watch, which sparked both legislative and executive investigations.