Marcos vows jail time for suspects in Philippines graft scandal

13/11/2025 16:19

People allegedly involved in a Philippine corruption scandal linked to government infrastructure projects, including in flood-control facilities that failed during a heavy typhoon season, will be jailed by the end of the year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed on Thursday.



The scandal has outraged a graft-weary public, who have taken to the streets in protest. It has also hammered confidence, and was seen as a key reason behind economic growth hitting a four-year low in the September quarter.



"They won't have a Merry Christmas," Marcos said in a televised press conference as dozens of names of public works officials and construction executives facing allegations at the anti-graft body appeared on a giant screen.



Earlier this year, Marcos created a commission to investigate the alleged corruption, with a focus on billions of pesos worth of flood-control facilities that were found to be substandard, poorly documented, or even non-existent. The controversy has flared again following massive flooding from powerful typhoons in recent weeks that submerged communities across the Philippines.



Marcos said government spending will pick up into the end of the year after being slowed by stricter validation procedures as a result of the alleged corruption.



"Public spending will be increased to make sure that by the end of the year, that the levels... are according to our original plan," he said.