Marcos faces credibility test amid public skepticism of his anti-graft drive — analyst
THE Marcos administration may struggle to convince the public that its anti-corruption campaign will yield concrete results, an analyst said over the weekend, warning that recent appointments and the uneven handling of high-profile cases have undermined confidence in the initiative.
Political science assistant professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, Arjan P. Aguirre, said the government’s credibility took an early hit when President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. tapped a political ally — not an independent expert — to serve as Ombudsman, a move that immediately raised doubts about the impartiality of future investigations.
The move to appoint Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, his government’s Justice chief, as the country’s top graft buster has fueled concerns that the administration may be more focused on managing political alliances than pursuing aggressive accountability, Mr. Aguirre noted.
“The administration squandered an early chance to show impartiality by appointing a political ally rather than an independent expert as Ombudsman, immediately casting doubt on the integrity of the process,” Mr. Aguirre said via Facebook Messenger.
The climate-vulnerable country is probing a multibillion-peso public works scam, which Mr. Marcos uncovered in July after a series of storms that hit the country revealed the failed flood control system despite billions of allocations.
The controversy risks complicating Mr. Marcos’ broader governance agenda at a time when investor confidence and political stability hinge on the administration’s ability to demonstrate institutional integrity and the rule of law.
The scandal has implicated high-ranking government officials, including Mr. Marcos, former House Speaker and presidential cousin Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, former Senate President Francis Joseph G. Escudero and other Cabinet secretaries.
“The timing of Remulla’s appointment, combined with the belated attention to allegations involving former Speaker Romualdez, only reinforces public skepticism that the investigation will selectively target political rivals rather than confront corruption within the ruling coalition itself,” Mr. Aguirre added.
Former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co earlier released documents as proof of deliveries made to the President and his cousin, both facing allegations that they received kickbacks.
This has prompted the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to include the former speaker in its referral to the Office of the Ombudsman even “without any finding or conclusion of guilt or liability” on his part.
More than three months have passed since Mr. Marcos flagged the wide-scale corruption, yet no one has been put behind bars, as of writing. Mr. Marcos earlier vowed that fugitives would be jailed by Christmas time. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
