President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, August 11, appeared to throw down the gauntlet to members of the media, urging them to investigate alleged ties between certain contractors and sitting lawmakers.
The challenge came after GMA News asked if the 15 contractors involved in government flood control projects had links to government officials, particularly congressmen.
“Wala na ba talaga tayong investigative journalist ngayon sa Pilipinas? Trabaho niyo ’yan, look it up,” Marcos quipped.
While saying Malacañang will also look into the allegations, the President stressed it would be “very premature” to name names without firm evidence.
“Go out there. Tingnan ninyo. Talk to the people. We need to hear from everyone,” he told reporters.
Marcos noted that some accusations could be politically motivated, citing rivalries, lost contracts, or other disputes.
“Minsan justified, minsan hindi, dahil may alitan na political… the usual thing,” he remarked.
He assured that the government will examine each case individually.
“We’ll still go through every single one. Let’s also be fair to everyone, unless we have a good idea of what went wrong,” Marcos said.
The remarks came during a Palace briefing on flood control projects, where the President also showcased publicly accessible Department of Public Works and Highways data through the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” portal.
However, veteran journalist and Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) Board of Trustee Professor Vergel Santos criticized the President’s comments, saying they appeared to deflect accountability onto the media.
“(Flood control projects) ang problema. Ang hinihintay ko (ay) solusyon. Bakit tayo nasali dyan?,” Santos told DZMM Radyo Patrol 630.