Philippine President Marcos stated on Tuesday that the fight against corruption is one of his government's most important policy priorities, emphasizing that the embezzlement of public funds directly deprives the people of services and development opportunities they deserve.
He made these remarks during a joint press conference at Malacañang Palace with visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Marcos pointed out that corruption undermines the government’s ability to implement policies and provide public services.
“The fight against corruption in the Philippines is a very serious issue,” he said.
He stated that corruption not only affects government systems, but also erodes the operational efficiency of enterprises and public institutions, preventing many essential public services from being carried out.
Marcos stressed that his government must push forward large-scale reforms to eliminate long-standing misconduct present in some institutions.
“We must thoroughly change the current situation and no longer allow such abuses to continue,” he said.
He pointed out that relevant departments are continuously investigating the root causes of systemic issues and holding responsible individuals legally accountable.
“We must identify the root causes of the problems to avoid repeating the same mistakes,” he added, saying that those involved in corruption will be held accountable and required to make amends to the Filipino people.
Previously, Marcos had ordered a comprehensive audit and inspection of all national flood control projects in response to concerns about huge budgets not effectively mitigating floods.
Currently, multiple administrative and criminal cases involving irregular infrastructure projects have been filed and investigated, related personnel are being held to account, and hundreds of flood control works are still under review.
Marcos emphasized that the embezzlement of public funds is the most unacceptable behavior because it directly affects the lives of ordinary people.
“What they take is not my money, nor yours, but the people's money,” he said.
“This is the most serious mistake,” he added.
Marcos stated that ongoing accountability and institutional reforms are key to restoring public trust and improving government effectiveness.