Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered the deployment of police and law enforcement teams to arrest 18 suspects in a major corruption scandal involving flood control projects, as public outrage continues to simmer over substandard infrastructure.
The move comes after an anti-corruption court issued warrants against the suspects, including former congressman Zaldy Co, who has resigned and fled to an unspecified country. The investigation centers on irregularities in a river dike project in Oriental Mindoro province, worth 289 million pesos ($4.8 million).
Prosecutors have recommended no bail for the suspects due to the scope of the alleged irregularities, which include defective or non-existent flood control projects across the country. Marcos has vowed that "there will be no special treatment and nobody would be spared" in the crackdown on corruption.
The Interpol has been asked to assist in tracking down Co, who was last spotted in Japan. An immigration order has also been issued to prevent the suspects from leaving the country.
The scandal has sparked widespread protests and calls for accountability, with lawmakers opposed to Marcos implicated in the investigation. Former senator Chiz Escudero is among those under investigation, despite denials of wrongdoing.
The case has echoes of last year's arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands over alleged crimes against humanity related to his anti-drugs crackdowns. Duterte is a vocal critic of Marcos and has called for him to be held accountable for signing into law the 2025 national budget that included appropriations for irregular infrastructure projects.
At least 9,855 flood control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos ($9 billion) are under investigation, with allegations of corruption totaling up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) since 2023.
The move comes after an anti-corruption court issued warrants against the suspects, including former congressman Zaldy Co, who has resigned and fled to an unspecified country. The investigation centers on irregularities in a river dike project in Oriental Mindoro province, worth 289 million pesos ($4.8 million).
Prosecutors have recommended no bail for the suspects due to the scope of the alleged irregularities, which include defective or non-existent flood control projects across the country. Marcos has vowed that "there will be no special treatment and nobody would be spared" in the crackdown on corruption.
The Interpol has been asked to assist in tracking down Co, who was last spotted in Japan. An immigration order has also been issued to prevent the suspects from leaving the country.
The scandal has sparked widespread protests and calls for accountability, with lawmakers opposed to Marcos implicated in the investigation. Former senator Chiz Escudero is among those under investigation, despite denials of wrongdoing.
The case has echoes of last year's arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands over alleged crimes against humanity related to his anti-drugs crackdowns. Duterte is a vocal critic of Marcos and has called for him to be held accountable for signing into law the 2025 national budget that included appropriations for irregular infrastructure projects.
At least 9,855 flood control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos ($9 billion) are under investigation, with allegations of corruption totaling up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) since 2023.
they're going through this flooding disaster and our president is more focused on pinning down his own people 
. Can't he just get to the root of the problem instead of arresting everyone involved? 
It's like, what's the point of all these arrests if we don't have a plan in place to fix the infrastructure 
. And the fact that Marcos is so hard on his own people while Duterte is out there being vocal about corruption 
just makes me feel like he's more concerned with keeping his own power than doing what's right 
. We need real change here, not just arrests and threats 
. That river dike project in Oriental Mindoro province was a major red flag, and now it seems like the investigation has uncovered even more corruption 
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. If Duterte is vocal about holding Marcos accountable, maybe he should put his money where his mouth is 
. The fact that Interpol and immigration are being asked to assist with tracking down suspects suggests that the authorities are taking this seriously 
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. I hope that these arrests bring about some real change, but I'm not holding my breath 
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This whole thing is wild 
And the fact that Marcos is going after this guy Co who fled to Japan 
... it just feels like they're trying to make an example out of someone. I don't know if I believe all these allegations are true, but at least 9,855 projects under investigation? That's a lot of red flags 
. I'm not sure what's more concerning - the corruption itself or how Marcos is handling it 
.
I'm thinking the government needs to get its act together when it comes to infrastructure development. Like, how can we trust that they're doing things right when we see substandard projects popping up everywhere? 
This corruption thing has been going on for years and it's getting out of hand. I feel like Marcos is trying to silence people with his "no special treatment" vibe, but honestly, accountability is what the people need - not some tough talk from the president 
. And btw, if someone as influential as Chiz Escudero is under investigation too... that's just another red flag 
. And now Marcos Jr is all like "no special treatment" but we all know he's just trying to cover his own tracks 
. I swear, this guy's got some 'splainin' to do about that budget he signed... $9 billion for substandard infrastructure? 
And poor Zaldy Co, fleeing Japan? Like, where are we gonna find him next? 
I'm thinking what's crazy here is how this whole thing started over a river dike project in Mindoro 
. Like, who would've thought that'd be the spark for all this? The fact that Marcos is making a big deal about cracking down on corruption is legit, but some of his allies are starting to get heat from the public 
. Anyway, this whole scandal is giving me serious "what did we do wrong?" vibes 
. And it's not just about the money, it's about the public's trust 
. It's good to see that spirit of activism still alive and well today 
?
. It's a classic move, and one that always raises more questions than answers 
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. Corruption has been an issue for so long in the Philippines and it's only now that people are starting to stand up and demand change 
. Anyway, let's hope this investigation leads to some real justice and accountability 
Do you think he's trying to cover something up?!
Is Co just messing around or is there more to it?! I need some tea, lol 
. Can't they just let the courts handle it? It feels like he's trying to show off and prove a point 
but Marcos should really focus on fixing the problems instead of just throwing people in jail 
and btw, 289 million pesos for a river dike project is like chump change 
I mean, come on! Another big scandal and the president's just deploying more cops? It's like, what's the message here? 'We're cracking down on corruption, but only if it's convenient for us'? 
It's like, let's get real for a second – corruption is a systemic issue, not just some isolated problem that can be solved with one big sweep.
I know it's easy to point fingers and say 'oh, Marcos is corrupt', but where's the substance in all this? We need concrete actions, not just empty promises of 'there will be no special treatment'... 
. The fact that at least 9,855 projects are under investigation is mind-blowing and I'm glad the Interpol is assisting in tracking down those who have fled the country 
! It's clear that Marcos has vowed to crack down on corruption and I fully support him in this effort 
.