The country’s biggest business organizations and labor federations have called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to take decisive measures to combat corruption and restore the public’s trust in government.
In an open letter released on Sunday, the groups urged the President to “firmly and fearlessly lead” the fight against what they described as the “largest and most brazen corruption scandal” in Philippine history.
The joint statement was signed by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).
While commending Marcos for speaking out against corruption in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, the groups expressed disappointment over the lack of decisive follow-through.
“Instead of hold departure orders, we are told to be content with immigration lookout bulletins for now. Instead of criminal charges, we are fed daily promises of cases ‘soon to be filed.’ Instead of open transparent hearings, we get closed-door investigations whose direction remains unknown,” they said.
“Instead of going after the most guilty, we are led on political detours, chasing the less guilty, depending on who sits where and who stands with whom. So what now, Mr. President?”
The coalition then outlined five bold measures they said could restore public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
Foremost among their recommendations is the creation of a special division within the Sandiganbayan dedicated to handling infrastructure-related corruption cases — ensuring swift prosecution and conviction.
“This is regardless if the guilty is foe, friend, or family, no matter how high in power,” they stressed.
They also urged the government to recover stolen public funds from infrastructure and flood control projects through asset freezing, insurance recovery, and restitution, adding that recovered funds should be redirected toward genuine social reforms that benefit workers and ordinary Filipinos.
The letter further called for comprehensive reforms in the national budget process, emphasizing the need for “meaningful multi-sectoral participation” from the earliest stages of the National Expenditure Program (NEP) preparation.
“So that it is not merely the President’s budget, but truly the People’s Budget,” the groups said.
In addition, the coalition appealed for regular sectoral dialogues between the government, workers, and employers to track the progress and challenges of the anti-corruption drive.
Finally, they urged Marcos to certify as urgent the proposed law granting the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) full subpoena and contempt powers and to direct the commission to conduct public hearings and disclose all documents related to its investigations.
According to the signatories, only through decisive leadership and full transparency can the administration rebuild public trust and prove its sincerity in fighting corruption.