President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says many of the 37 people named in a sweeping probe of flood‑control corruption will be jailed by Christmas. An independent commission has filed graft and plunder charges; separate complaints target contractors and officials for nearly ₱9 billion in alleged tax evasion. The Anti‑Money Laundering Council froze assets worth ₱6.3 billion, investigators are reviewing 9,855 projects (>₱545 billion), and authorities say up to ₱118.5 billion may have been lost since 2023.
Marcos: Dozens Implicated in Flood‑Control Graft Probe Will Be Jailed by Christmas
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vows arrests as flood‑control graft probe widens
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday that many of the at least 37 influential senators, representatives and wealthy businesspeople named in a wide‑ranging corruption probe into flood‑control projects will be behind bars by Christmas, in remarks aimed at calming public anger and ongoing street protests.
Charges filed and assets frozen
Marcos said an independent fact‑finding commission he established has filed criminal complaints alleging graft, corruption and plunder — a non‑bailable offense — against the 37 individuals. Separate complaints were also lodged against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials accused of evading nearly 9 billion pesos (about $152 million) in taxes.
The government’s Anti‑Money Laundering Council has issued seven orders freezing assets linked to the suspects, including 1,671 bank accounts, 144 real estate properties, 244 vehicles and other holdings valued at some 6.3 billion pesos (roughly $107 million), Marcos said. Authorities have also seized at least 13 luxury vehicles and placed an initial seven up for public auction.
Scale of the probe and alleged losses
Investigators are reviewing as many as 9,855 flood‑control projects totaling more than 545 billion pesos (about $9 billion) that were supposed to have been carried out since Marcos took office in mid‑2022. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told lawmakers in September that as much as 118.5 billion pesos (about $2 billion) for flood‑control work may have been lost to corruption since 2023 alone.
Recent storms highlight stakes
Corruption in flood‑control works has drawn intense scrutiny in the Philippines, one of Asia’s most typhoon‑exposed countries. Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 232 people dead last week, mostly in flash floods, with 125 others still missing in the central region. Days later, Super Typhoon Fung‑wong struck the north, killing at least 27 people and displacing millions amid flash floods and landslides.
“I know that before Christmas, the cases of many of those who were named would be concluded and they would end up in jail,” Marcos said, adding that investigators expect to find further anomalies. “We don’t file cases for optics. We file cases to put people in jail.”
Detention and public reaction
Last month the government opened a new detention facility in suburban Quezon City capable of holding up to 800 detainees, intended to house corruption suspects while they await trial. Officials have pledged no VIP treatment for powerful politicians.
The scandal has triggered public outrage and street demonstrations, with a three‑day protest planned to start this weekend and another rally scheduled for Nov. 30. Marcos emphasized that the probe includes lawmakers from both his camp and the opposition, and reiterated: “Nobody’s immune. Nobody would be exempted in these investigations.”
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