Nearly a year after publicly telling officials behind anomalous flood control projects to “have some shame” during his previous State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that several individuals under investigation continue to show no remorse.
Speaking during a press briefing on his official visit to Canada, Marcos disclosed that the government’s inquiry uncovered a deeply entrenched culture of corruption, where some bureaucrats view illicit kickbacks as standard practice.
“Ang sinabi ko, ‘Mahiya naman kayo,’ pag tinanong mo sa IMEI, nahiya ba sila? Yung iba hindi.”
“Akala nila karapatan nila yung ginagawa nila. Wala kaming ginagawang mali, ganyan talaga ang patakbo dito.”
The President emphasized that reshaping this mindset is a formidable obstacle, proving far more complex than simply rewriting legislation or enacting policy reforms.
“That’s the hardest part to change — the culture within government.”
“Kasi naglalagay sila ng kung anu-anong magandang salita — rebate, incentive — pero kickback ‘yan. Walang ibang tunay na salita, kickback ‘yan.”
Marcos had initially called out those responsible for substandard and nonexistent flood control infrastructure during his fourth SONA, following widespread devastation caused by severe monsoons and consecutive typhoons.
He reiterated that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure is managing the probe with strict impartiality, guided solely by the facts.
“From the time that we formed the independent commission, I said we’ll just follow the evidence, and we’ll continue to do that.”
The Chief Executive confirmed that authorities have already cataloged the specific contractors and problematic infrastructure projects under suspicion.
“We have the inventory, not only of the contractors but also the projects themselves that are problematic.”
Furthermore, the government has launched formal legal proceedings and frozen the financial assets of individuals linked to the irregularities.
“Those that were investigated and where problems were found already have cases filed against them and their accounts have been frozen.”
The administration previously noted that the investigation focused on a select group of contractors that had monopolized a massive share of the nation’s flood control contracts.
Marcos clarified, however, that some heavily contracted firms were ultimately exonerated after scrutiny revealed no wrongdoing.