President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. marked National Heroes’ Day not only by paying tribute to the sacrifices of the country’s heroes and frontline workers, but also by issuing a strong warning against corruption and abuse of power.
Marcos declared that sovereignty and freedom require more than a strong defense, stressing that corruption, power abuses, and rights violations must be confronted head-on because they rob not only taxpayers’ money but also the future of the next generation.
“Bilang Pilipino, may pananagutan tayo sa ating bansa na maging mas mapanuri sa mga mali, na isiwalat ang panloloko at panindigan ang alam nating tama kahit hindi ito madali,” the President said on Monday, August 25.
He further vowed to uncover the “whole truth” behind anomalies and acts of wrongdoing, ensuring accountability so that such abuses will not be repeated.
“Pananagutin namin ang lahat ng sangkot sa anomaliya at katiwalian. Ilalabas natin nang buo at pawang katotohanan at titiyakin natin hindi na mauulit ang kawalan ng respeto at malasakit sa taong bayan,” Marcos asserted.
His remarks came as congressional investigations intensified into failed flood control projects, ghost projects, and multibillion-peso infrastructure deals allegedly cornered by a select group of contractors with the involvement of lawmakers and government officials.
Calling for a united front against corruption, Marcos said: “Kaya magtulong-tulong tayo upang labanan ang korapsyon, labanan ang pang-aabuso sa tungkulin, labanan ang pagyurak sa ating karapatan, sapagkat ito lamang ang paraan upang matamasa natin na mas maunlad at mas matatag na Bagong Pilipinas.”